


Keen Eyes, Fragile Hearts

by Khurious



Category: AlphaTale, Bitty Bones - Fandom, Undertale
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Bitty Bones, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Link In the Fic, M/M, Magic, Music, New Au, Pack Life, Past Abuse, Pictures, Reader-Insert, Seriously look up this AU, Swearing, alphatalelioness, bitty relationship, headphones, nervous reader, nsfwalphatalelioness, pictures included
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-17
Updated: 2017-09-12
Packaged: 2018-08-22 21:20:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 9
Words: 30,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8301532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Khurious/pseuds/Khurious
Summary: Autumn.Oh lovely season of change. Crisp air kisses the delicate skin.Melodies erase your mind with ease. Sepia foliage dancing within the sky.Deafening shrieks of fright scathe your world.That… that last part was not part of the agenda. All you wanted was just a relaxing walk in the early dawn. Perhaps a pleasant cup of coffee to start your day. Your chest throbs and aches. You face down a dingy alleyway.A cry. Instincts. A roar.Your feet move.Now’s the time to be the hero, you never believed you were. -----An Alphatale / Bittybones inspired work based off of the AU by Alphatalelioness.





	1. A Taste Of Trust

**Author's Note:**

> The following is an Alphatale / Bittybones inspired work based off of the AU by Alphatalelioness. Seriously, her shit's amazing and I have completely fallen in love with her designs and art work. She has an NSFW blog and a SFW blog.  
> [NSFW List of Bitties Possibly In This Story](http://nsfwalphatalelioness.tumblr.com/tagged/Bittybones-Master-List-Adoptables)  
> [Her SFW Blog](http://alphalionessartsblog.tumblr.com/)  
> [The Lyrics at the beginning are from this amazing song here. ](https://soundcloud.com/xunreachablee/battle-against-a-true-hero-orchestra-ver-w-fanlyrics?in=khurious/sets/undertunes)
> 
> If you don't know anything or care to research, then just join in for the ride! There'll be smut not too long from now, and possibly pictures if I get around to commissioning her. It's on my to do list!

“‘Ey!”

_**Every hero has to make a serious choice,** _

“Get out of here!”

_**Fight with honor and make your rivals fear your voice!** _

“I said, back _off!_ ”

_**Real heroes never fear the pain or death!** _

“Ackk! Fuck!”

_**Every soldier fight until their final breath!** _

“Ugh, you’re going to regret that!”

Grinding against gravel.

Hitched gasps of air.

Echoes of feral growls.

“Ha! Got’cha now!”

_**Years of training giving all your blood and sweat,** _

Flicker of fear.

Anticipation of actions.

Cries of contempt.

_**Getting to a point where nothing is a threat!** _

You can do this.

You’ve made your choice.

Yelping fades away.

Senses heightened.

Wide eyed and wary.

_**Just because we fight it doesn’t mean, we don’t have our own fragile hearts...** _

In.

Out.

Breathe.

_**If we could we would go back in time, so we could prevent these wars...** _

“So… ya still here?”

Beads of sweat.

Slowing pulses.

Calming breaths.

_**You hear these voices in your head, telling you that it will be alright...** _

Hushed cries of harrowing unease.

_**But your heart keeps telling you again, real heroes don’t have to fight…** _

“Ha… Ha… Heh, phew.”

In.

Out.

“Well then...you’re safe, fah-tsk” _shit that stings_ “-or… yeah, you’re safe for now.”

 

Breathe.

 

Dust and silence fall over the darkened alley, all soundless but for your baited breath. Adrenaline still throbbing through your veins, you take a moment to finally reach up to remove your headset. The music ending on its few final key notes, the headphones bleating out their last tones before shutting off. The song has ended, yet it seems your day has just begun. A walk. A walk is all you had wanted. A stroll to relax away after a stressful week at work. Yet, there had been pleads and wails of trepidation echoing throughout the so called silent morn. Instincts had kicked in. Your feet pounding into the pavement as you turned sharp corners, finding the source.

Beasts fighting beasts.

Your stomach churns as you lean your back to the brick barrier behind you. Metal connects with ground making a rather loud clacking noise, your make shift weapon discarded. Just a breather. Your hand stings, or is it your arm? Your sweater isn’t a very good set of armor, now is it? Eyes narrowing as you peer into the darkness. Yes, there lies something in the dark. Grimy pearl clashing against ebony terra, it's so hard to see with only the street lamp assisting you. Man, you could really go for a cup of coffee now. A step forward and you hesitate. There’s a noise, like a buzzing, and you double check the ear pieces. No, it’s not them. The wires shift as you return the set to rest upon your collarbone. Ah, it’s growling; a worrisome and rather weak threatening sound. You aren’t too impressed, however, you are cautious. You raise your hands before you, your brows furrow as a mark of unease paints itself upon your lips.

“Hey, shhh… it’s okay. I’m not gonna hurt you, or who or whatever else is here. Just… just let me see how you're doing, okay?”

The growling lowers as you inch forward, biting your tongue to keep your jaw from chattering. Heh, nerves. Your shoes brush against garbage and rubbish, the fight between the two must have lasted longer than your arrival. Muscles taunt, you shift to your knees as you zone in on the creature. Ugh, oh boy. Laying at just half a foot, possibly a tad taller if it were standing, lay a creature you’ve seen in adoption centers populating the downtown area. Had it escaped? Gotten lost?

“Hey, you’re called… uh… an Alpha Dad or something, right?”

“...”

It’s beady, uh, eyes? Whatever they are, flicker in and out of focus as they look towards your face. It does not answer so you leave it at that. Now’s not really the time for dumb questions anyway. You scan over its skeletal body; scratches mar its bones, it’s right claw stuck in a permanent slashing position. Poor thing, it really did try to fight off that oversized stray. Squinting, you spot matter fur and drying blood at its claws. You let out a low quiet whistle. Christ, what do you even do at this point?

“I’m; hell, I don’t even know if you can understand me, but I’m gonna try and help ya up okay? Get you out of the morning chill or… something.”

Your hands; fuck, their trembling, be brave damnit! Your hands reach forward-!

“Stay back!” “Grrrr!” “Stay away from our Alpha!”  “P-Please don’t hurt him!”

Your head jolts up as you see a few shorter skeleton creatures snarling before you. Well, perhaps not all of them; one seems to be whimpering, the other attempting to growl. They look so young, is this it's pack? You pause as you look back and forth between the two. Hesitation peppering your movements as you slowly return our hands to rest on your knees. Well, it’s not just their leader it seems who is in poor condition. Each barely have proper dressing, their bones seem to not have their luster shine of typically healthy skeletons. Oh boy, what did you get yourself into. The smallest one; gosh he couldn’t be more than just the height of your pinky finger, is whimpering as it holds onto one of the taller ones. This one has it’s tail; which you might call adorable at another time, between its leg as it clasps onto one just a smidgen taller than it. This one is tapping its fingers together, nervously looking between the fallen one and the snarling one before it. The snarling one steps forward, its fangs bared as it guards over the fallen one.

“Leave us you human waste, we need no help from your kind!”

You outwardly flinch, and not just because of the persistent stinging of your arm. You eyes shift downward as you glance upon the pack leader. He’s breathing has turned labored. Your heart shutters and your stomach goes queasy. No, not again. Your eyes snap back to the snarling one. You bite your bottom lip in contemplation. Fuck, the big guy needs help.

“C-Come on, er, please, just listen. He’s not doing well. You guys don’t look good either. My place is about three blocks away. Let me grab you guys some grub and a blanket, something. I have monster candy to help with the any aches and pains, that stuff is literally magical!”

You beg, your throats locking up.

Not again, you won’t let this happen again.

Not when you are here. Not when you can do something.

“...C-Candy?”

This time it's the braver medium size skeleton to speaks up as it steps forward, you can see its tiny tail attempting to wag behind it. The short glaring one snaps at it, causing it to keen gently and fall back again with the other two ducking behind it. They are so scared. The leering one; despite its short stature is still rather frightening, looks back at you. It’s stare is heavy with thought and… hatred. Ouch. What happened to these guys?

Correction.

Who happened to these guys?

He opens its jaw as to speak, only for a rumbling to catch even it off guard. It’s the Alpha, it’s regained consciousness. To your surprise it’s not snarling at you, but it’s own pack; specifically the little guy. The Alpha sits up, painfully slow, you can’t help but lurch forward and support its back. Well, the little guy did have the same thought and well...

“Ugh, frick!”

You snap under your breath, looking down to see to see the mini skeleton had snapped a rather deep cut into the side of your wrist. You groan and grind your teeth, yet remain in place, not wanting to further injure the big guy. Tears weep out your eyes as you glare at the little guy. Shit. Frick. Fuck a duck. His fangs are super pointy. To  a bit of your surprise, the big guy shots his arm out a seems to well, scruff the guy? By the neck? How even? Thank the heavens though his fangs retracts and the little guy growls rather submissively as he’s tossed back. Nothing too hard, but just enough to set a point.

“...That, ah crap, that really fucking hurts. Could you not? Please. I know you don’t have to trust me, you have no reason to. However, I’m not about to hurt ya guys. I don’t have a care to do so.”

You state with emphases as you unknowingly begin to stroke the horned creature’s head with your thumb.

Force of habit.

“...Go...with…”

You pause and the others perk up. Instantly to it’s side, all but Mister Bites coo with worry words and care. You don’t move; locked into place, fearing that if you were to even sneeze this moment is to be ruined beyond repair. This is a chance to actually make some leeway. Mister Bites stands just at their sides, arms crossed, watching over you more than them. You sigh as you look down, coming eye to eye with the big boss. You keep yourself quiet and look over his face. Hairline cracks mar his face, hopefully with time they will disappear. You smile upon the little ones; a very gentle smile, as you speak softly to them.  

“Well, you heard the big guy, let’s get you guys out of here. It’s nearly six now and the streets are gonna get pretty busy. Heck I can even see the sun on the horizon. Let’s get going. Can you guys… um, would you like me to… hold you? Carry you or something?”

You shift unsure, but to your surprise, a sharp nod by Mister Bites has the others lining up. His eyes snap up towards you as you shift to carry the leader like a lithe child in your left arm. You muscles tense and wince as you feel your sweater scrape against the no doubt cuts of your arm. You really hope you have some medical stuff at home to treat both you and the little pack. You offer your hand to Mister-where did he go?

“If you even think of hurting anyone of my pack, I will not hesitate to crush your jugular.”

Holy shit. When did he get on your shoulder?!

“U-Uh, yeah, understood boss man.”

You stutter out; unable to see his rather pleased smirk upon his fanged grin. A shift of movement on your shoulder and you look down to see the little three climbing onto your hand. Not to surprisingly, they huddle together in your palm, the slightly taller of the three holding the others. The smaller ones keen gently as the taller one nuzzles into their heads, as a means to calm them you presume?

“Okay, let’s take it nice and easy. We aren’t forgettin’ anyone, right?”

“No, now let’s head to your squalor.”

You peer over to Mister Bites with a mock glare. Rude.

With a step you head out with your new entourage back to your apartment.

Man, you could really go for some damn coffee.  

 

“Well, here we are. I wouldn’t call it a squalor as you put it, but it’s home.”

 

Stepping into your apartment, you use your foot to gently close the door behind you. Just as the door clicks shut, an eruption of growls echo from the one on your shoulder and in your arm. You pause and look at them questionably. Their eyes are darting around, can bones bristle? They seem on edge. Hah. Stupid joke. Of the three in your palm; they squirm, the tallest on holds the young ones closer.

“You have a cat?”

Your eyes widen as you look back at Mister Bites.

Oh boy, he does not look happy.

“...No, I don't.”

You shift in your stance as you take off your shoes. A heavy sigh slips past your lips as they continue to growl at nothing.

“...Well...not anymore. It’s just me now.”

Your eyes fall to the floor, man your shoes sure look interesting right now. Look at that, you really need to sweep too. Mister Bites’ face relaxes, as do the others. You hear a quiet huff at your right ear and the tiny guy grumble to himself. “Well, on with it then. The pups are hungry and we need to fix our Alpha.” As if on cue, you feel the large guy begin to struggle and sit up. Shit, shit, shit! You don’t want to drop him! You hustle over to the kitchen, placing them down on the counter next to the sink. You grunt and bite your tongue as you place them down, slowly releasing them so they get their footing. The leader leans his back against the stack of napkins; which now are all useless. You shift your eyes upon all of them; tattered clothing, malnourished faces, oh god, what did you get yourself into?

You step over and try to stop from wincing as you turn the water on in the sink. You should really check on your own wound, but they need help sooner. They. Oh shit. It dawn’s on you, you don’t even know their names or they know yours respectively. You take a deep breath and introduce yourself as your eyes lock with the alpha’s. The little ones perk up from snuggling in their leader’s arm.

“...but people call me ‘phones or Headphones, sometimes. Cause I’m usually listening to music. Or not. Just have them in my ears. In my, well, own world... Well! You can call me what a would like! Do, do you guys have names?”

To your surprise, all but the alpha seems to turn away or look down.

“...No…”

His voice is so quiet, worryingly so. You nod and look about them. You need to call them something for now, right? Deciding to focus on this later, you drop some dish soap in the sink. Oh the little lights of the two smaller ones seem to brighten at the forming mountain of bubbles. Filling it to about three inches of water, you turn it off. Are their… oh how precious, their little tails are wagging as they peak over their leader’s resting arm.

“Well, um, bathtime big guy?”

The little ones yawn and nervously look about.

“I ah, I can sit you guys on the couch if you’d like? I got a heated blanket plugged up since it's fall.”

Again, nervous glances.

“...Rest….”

At the soft spoken voice of the alpha dad, one sits up from the arms of the alpha. Now in the light of the kitchen you see he's wearing a long and lose, still dirty, creamsicle sweater. Almost like a dress upon his tiny body. He picks up the tiniest whimpering one dressed in a baggy periwinkle shirt, holding onto the hand of the taller and just as nervous pup. This one wearing a mint shirt, with a rather depressing amount of holes in it. They walk up to your offered hand and sit once more. Mister Bites doesn’t move, instead scoffs at the actions of the others.

“...Go...with…”

“Eh? What?! Never, this human might-!”

While not baring his fangs, the alpha releases a sharp and instructive growl. Mister Bites darts his head to the side, and you can just barely see his small tail tuck down underneath his ratty long jacket. His narrowed eyes glimpse back up at you, returning to the alpha once more. The alpha attempts to snarl once more, only to wince. You feel yourself tense to urge to help him, however, you are still holding the other pack members.

“...Fine.”

With a blink of the eye, he stands on your shoulder once more. Christ, he's a fast one! You leave Alpha for a moment, taking the pack to your dimly lit so called living room. Living is all you really do here. It houses your television, laptop, book shelf of crap, your oh so loyal comfy couch… yeah, that really is it, isn't it? Huh. Maybe you should get some pictures or something. The old ones always had… yeah, new pictures. That’s what you need. You place the little ones; when did he get off your shoulder, and they all bury into the bundle. They keen with gentle happiness and for a split second you think you see Bites smirk… actually smile.  

“Is... is this okay? It will take a minute for it to heat up. If it's too hot just click this button. You can either lower it like this, or turn it off. If you need me, um, just whistle. Shout. Or something.”

To be honest, you don't feel like you're talking to anyone except for Bites. The little ones and their guardian have curled up together in a ball of bones or need to be washed wardrobe, already falling into a sleepy stupor. Bites is sitting next to them, arms crossed, glaring at you. You fingers tap together nervously as you watch over the three get comfortable. The tallest of the three beginning to lightly lick at the younger two’s faces with the cutest tangerine tongue. A smile slips onto your lips as your eyes soften. How could anyone just throw these guys out? A now, “becoming the norm”, growl graces your ears as Bites makes it quite clear for you to leave. Geez, okay, you can take a hint. Now, to help assist the alpha-

“Remember. **_Jugular._** ”

You pause and look back, nodding.

Right.

Hint taken.


	2. A Taste of Freedom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This... is getting a better reception than I thought it would! Thank you guys!  
> Warning: Past Abuse / Current Abuse

“Now… how would you like to do this?”

Pulling out a hand towel from within a drawer by the sink, you look at the dragon skull skeleton with a mix of worry and intrigue. The moments of rest on the counter alone have done the creature good, however you still worry that it’s injuries can get infected. Can… can they even get infected? Slowly it sits up, its claws clicking at the faux marble counter. It looks down upon itself then back up at you, returning once more to glance at itself. You can’t help but to crack a smile; yeah, that stuff really belonged in the trash to be honest.

“Are you okay with undressing yourself? I can help you with that, however… just so you know, I don’t have any of whatever you guys are, um, clothing. Not even a damn Ken doll. Heh.”

You help him lift the tattered sweater over his arms, careful to not go too fast or slow. To your surprise and slight embarrassment, you find him to have some sort of... magical torso? “I-I, ahem,” You clear your throat and swallow, did it just get a bit hot in here? Is the heat on? “...I can always see about grabbing you something from the center downtown or… maybe the thrift store? I don’t know. I could try to mend it or something. Not going to lie, I’m not that good with sewing.”

You hold the tainted fabric in your hands, the grimy sweater fitting in your palm. Placing it beside the sink, your brows furrow as you eye his pants. “Um, I can lower you into the water first and then take your pants… if you would be okay with that? Do you have like, boxers on or something?” The look he gives you, is rather a mix of amusement and chastising. “W-Well, thought I would at least ask. Here, careful now…” Oh so gently you place him into the warmed water, some of the suds already dying away. Eh, that’s what you got for getting the dollar store brand.

“Here, okay, good. Good. I’ll just turn-oh, that was fast. Thanks. I’ll try and wash… these. Somehow.”

Now in your hands you hold not just dirty pants, but wet and grimy ones at that. Oh god it feels slimy in your fingers! Fuck that! You toss the clothing into the sink beside the current ‘bathtub’ the alpha is in, mumbling a shy remark of how the gross texture you can still feel on your hand. You hear a gentle huff and eye the big guy again. You turn the water on as he soaks in the pool you have made him. He’s relaxing, yet, you can feel he is quite on guard despite his eye sockets having gone closed. Carefully; yet vigorously, you use dish soap and water to rinse away much of the grime embedded in the material. Well, shit. The color has brightened from a dark to a more scarlet red, the pants mimicking the same color change from a putrid dark to a silken black. You wring the clothing dry and place it to hang beside the sink. Darnit, you got the cuffs of your sweater sleeves wet. Ugh.

You turn to the little skeleton, smiling gently as his head seems to bobble. Poor creature, when was the last time he had a proper sleep? You speak up, “Would it be okay if I used a cloth on ya? Take care of your head at least?” His eyes glance up to meet with yours and you feel a heavy weight within their darkness. He’s thinking. He’s wary. He nods slowly, turning so that his whole body faces you. You smile down at him and roll your left sleeve up, followed by the right-!

“ ** _Shit!_** ”

You snap before thinking. A groan escapes betwixt your lips. The once numb injury throbbing with vengeance. Your arm shakes as you hold it to your chest, a blanket of cold sweat draping over your skin. Breathe. Crimson. Breathe. Deep. Pant. Aching. Fuck. Had your arm really gotten that hurt during the struggle? Everything happened in such a quick haze, your mind was only worried about the little guys. Of course, you never put yourself first, do you? You hear the light skittering of bone against metal and you bite back the tears in your eyes. Blink, breathe, yes. Everything is okay. You shield his view of your arm from him, biting the inside of your cheek to mum yourself. However, his eye lights flicker over to your arm. You hear quiet sniffing and swear under your voice; no way this creature's senses are that strong-?

“Your arm- _ngh!_ ”

He grunts.

Your heart twists.

“W-Woah, are you okay?”

Instantly by his side.

He’s grasping his jaw, a pained expression laced on his skull. His breathing is rapid. Panicked. He looks quite stressed. The hell just happened?! You squat forward and lean closer, fingers resting at the rim of the sink. You reach forward to stop his clawing of his maw, only for him to push away. His eyes are locked shut, a muffled whine escaping him. You wince as you hear his bones screech against the metal of the sink, he’s kicking away and dragging himself back. Holy nails on a chalkboard, that fucking hurts to hear!

Your eyes widen as you notice something against his jawline.

“Wait, wait, the hell is **that**?”

Rather forcefully, you hold his arms to his sides. He struggles and growls, his feet kicking against the sink and knicking parts of your wrist. You eyes widen. He snarls. Your heart drops to the pit of your stomach. No, he’s _attempting_ to snarl. You release his arms. His eye sockets narrow as he turns his head away. You step back, mouth agape. His claws return to scratch at his jaw.

You can’t believe what you are witnessing.

“G-Glue?! Some fuck **glued** your mouth shut?!”

Your back presses against the fridge behind you. You cup your hand over your mouth. You feel sick. What the actual shit?! Your arms, they shake with anger. This creature, no wonder it was struggling to talk. No, breathe. Now is not the time to panic. Take control. Control this situation. You can help this time. You are here. Fuck. Glue. Glue?! Who-Why the hell? Breathe. Knees shaking. No, breathe. Focus.

Focus.

“O-Okay. I-I, I can help! Y-Yeah,”

Breathe. Breathe.

Gasp!

“S-Stay here, try and relax. I have shit that can help!”

The alphadaddy watches as you stumble out of the kitchen, darting away around the corner. He massages his maw with the palms of his hands. He pants, his tongue sliding out between the small gap in front of his mouth. It’s not a lot of space, but enough that he has gotten used to speaking in short bursts and eating the smallest of meals. Shouting… had been a terrible idea. Be it was not on purpose… just instinct.  

Sigh.

He rubs the sensitive bone, it’s aching slowing down. To compare it to anything, it’s like a nasty toothache… combined with a slamming of a jackhammer. With time, his claws have weakened the cement like substance, however… it still hasn’t been enough. Looking down, he spots the distorted image that is himself. He looks… pathetic. His physique no doubt weakened from lack of proper nutrition. Can he… can he even protect his pack? Yes… no. They wouldn’t be here had he not failed to protect them to begin with. Hell, to rely on another human so soon… Had he made the correct choice? To trust another human with this- _his_ pack… so soon? Tail twitching beneath him, he comes to stand on his feet. He splashes the cooling water against his face, feeling the drips curve along his natural and unnatural scars. What is he to do…?

Ugh...

_Pop_

“‘Ey, are you alright? I heard some fussin’, she’s not-?”

“...No...did…self...”

“Grrr… bullshit! She’s just fucking with us. She’s-!”

Sigh.

“Stop... go... back…”

“ **Never!** No! Not after last time-!”

Growl.

Deep and threatening.

“...Trust…”

The other alpha snickers, arms crossing.

“Trust.”

He spits the word venomously.

“...that word is not within my vocabulary.”

“...Trust... ** _me_** …”

“...”

A glare. A snarl, one of frustration.

“Hmp. If that’s what you wish, _Alpha_ , then I will do so. I’ll be back with **my** pack.”

_Pop_

Step. Step. Step. Step.

Sigh.

Perhaps she… she can be different.

Like… _her_...

With an arm full of supplies and a nervous look upon your flustered face, you drop off the supplies beside the sink. You look back at the little guy and smile, wiping your brow. You really should work on cleaning up your front closet when you get a chance. The alpha guy is standing now, a large bubble cloud surrounding him. He… he doesn’t look very pleased, but he at least doesn’t looked pained.

“Hey, okay, so I got some cotton swabs and, uh, nail polish remover. Trust me, it’s gonna smell like hell and probably... taste funny, but it works! I swear! I accidentally glued my fingers together before workin’ on a project and-oh, uh, never mind. Story for another day. Um, let’s get you… yeah, sit your bony butt here. Perfect! O-Oh, oh my, h-here’s a washcloth… for… your lap… ahem.”

He would smirk, if he could.

“Okay, so, I would like for you to lay your head back and rest it on the-ew, not those-these napkins so I can work at getting that shit off your mouth. If that doesn’t work, I’ll do some research and see about some other homemade stuff we can use to get that off. Last resort, there’s an animal hospital about twenty minutes away. I’m sure they could… help… whatever ya are. Um, that’s if you’re okay with all that, that is…?”

Permission?

You’re asking for **his** permission?

Well.

He could get used to this.

He nods; to your surprise, and carefully angles himself to recline back into a manageable position. Well. H-Here goes n-nothing, right? You gulp, and with shaky hands you twist open the top of the polish remover bottle. Ohhhh, god, why does this shit have to have such a strong scent? Ugh. You poor some of the clear liquid into the lid, and dab the cotton end into it.

“Okay, I’m going to work on the right side first, and then make my way around. Just; fuck I guess you can’t say anything, but like, grab my hand or snap your fingers, I don’t know, just tell me if you need me to stop… okay?”

Nod.

Deep breath.

Okay, here goes.

You start off by making tiny circles around the hinge part of his jowl. Okay, all okay. His eyes fall close and for a split second, your stomach churns. “A-Are you okay?” You stutter out a confession of worry, biting your tongue as your remain concentrating on his jawbone. He gives you a thumbs up and you relax, taking a deep breath of air. Toxic air. Fuck, bad idea. You turn your head and cough, blinking away the water seeping into your vision.

Pungent. As. Hell.

“...Are...okay?”

“Heh, nah, I’m alright. Worry ‘bout yourself dude. Just keep still and… er… th-there! Now, for the other side.”

Watching as you work, Alpha relaxes under your working hand. Little by little, he can already feel the tension easing away from his jawbone. Stars, when was the last time he was able to… hell, just even yawn? Eat a good meal? Nearly salivating at the thought, he jumps slightly as he begins to doze off.

“...Hey, you, you okay? If you’re fallin’ asleep, you can until I’m done. I’ll wake ya in a bit.” Such a nice, calming voice to listen to. It rattles his soul; despite it’s cracks and trauma, it still yearns and hungers for the companionship of a trusted friend. Perhaps… perhaps… no, it’s too soon to judge you. While your actions have been most honorable and kind, the back of his mind still shouts at him.

You are a human.

No different than them.

Those who used him.

A mutt. A breeder. A slave.  

How many time’s had that old hag taken away his mates?

Taken away his pups?

How many cry for him, wishing for his protection?

“...?”

When can he take the time to mourn those he has lost? Those he may lose?

When will the time come for him to settle? To create a new pack to call his own?

“...Big guy?”

Horrible. Too trusting. Failure.

A failure to his pack.

A failure to himself.

“Alpha!”

“Yes?!”

A smile.

Calming. Welcoming. Caring. Warm.

You.

“You were… um… tearing up…in your sleep. I just wanted to make sure you were, um, okay? Can you move your jaw? Do it slowly, I can’t imagine the first time moving it is gonna feel nice.”

Jaw?

Wait, it does feel…

“...Free...”

Bright eyes.

“Free!”

Giggle.

“Yes, you are free, and my my, you have such a lovely voice.” You sit back with pride at your work. However, a groan befalls you as you feel your back crack from a change in position. You had been at that glue for a good thirty minutes, at least the alpha dad seems much happier now. You turn and get to work cleaning up the soiled cotton swabs and closing the lid to the acid-you mean, nail polish remover. Maybe you should open a window-!

Bump.

Uh.

You turn around.

“BIG GUY?!”

No, seriously, **big** guy!

Tall, christ, more than a yard; if not more taller, than you! He stands before you, arms to his sides, his horns just barely colliding with the ceiling of your kitchen. When had he gotten dressed? His eyes looked down at you as you look over him with wide eyes and wonder. The lengthy tail twitches behind him as he steps forward, you fall back. Your heart throbs in your chest. Oh, oh fuck, is, are these things dangerous? Killers?! Hell, it hadn’t even crossed your mind?! He, all of them, must be starving! Are you the next meal?!

It’s head lowers to yours; you can see up close now the ridges and healing fractures on his face. His cerulean eyes… they pulsate with ebbing magic. Your pupils dilate as dizziness washes over you; a wave drowning you and pulling you under. His magic… at this size you can feel it. Dear god, it’s intimidating as hell.

You step back once more.

Wall.

Trapped.

He steps forward.

You bite your inner lip.

His right arm comes forward, across his chest.

Your toes curl.

His head dips down.

“...Miss…”

You close your eyes.

Here it comes!

“...thank you.”

…

Your eyes flicker open.

“W-What?”

He’s… bowing?

“I can not thank you more, as you have saved not just myself, but my pack.”

His voice… it’s… heavy, yet delicate as silk. Smoky, yet the lightest of melodies to your ears. He raises his head once more, a soft smile upon his fanged jowls. Your toes uncurl as you bring your own hands to your chest. Breathe. Breathe. A finger, no, a claw slides under your chin. It arches your view upwards and once more you face his heavy gaze.

“...Do not misunderstand.”

Gulp.

“If you do anything to harm them, I will. Strike. You. **Down.** ”

The smile turns into a fanged snarl, his mauve tongue lashing out to lick the fangs. No doubt he has missed doing such a thing… however, now is not the time to consider such things. Now, you should be screaming. Should be crying. Yelling for help. Yet, you can not move, nor do you try. You can not speak, nor do you try. You hesitate. Your mouth falling open and closed. Again. Again.

“...Do you have nothing to say to me? Speak before this alpha, as I demand you so.”

…

“...I-I…”

“Speak.”

“I-I’m, a... I’m glad you're alright.”

…

His hand falls from your chin.

“...”

“...”  

"...Let's go mend your arm."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit gets tense! Just where will this story go?  
> I hope to keep up with the typing, but I'm going back to work tomorrow, so my writing will probably return to as often as possible lol damn. It's been really fun this weekend too. Stick around for more bitty adventures!


	3. A Taste of Joy

“So... about how long can you stay hulked out like this?”

“I… I beg your pardon?”

“Um, I mean, how long can you stay this big?”

You wince as he applies the antiseptic to your forearm. From being the caregiver, to the care receiver... has been an odd turn of events. The alpha daddy is surprisingly gentle despite his horrifying size. Even now, he rests before you on his knees and is head still comes up to your shoulder… even with you sitting on the counter top. He has to be eight feet tall, if not taller! “Can all of you guys-tsh, ow, can all of you guys go big? Is this a permanent thing?” You grumble under your breath as the big guy begins to wrap your wound with gauze. He huffs, you can feel the air brush against your skin as it leaves his snout. It’s… startlingly warm. 

“No, it is not a permanent form. It is only temporary for we bitty-bones as it does expend our magic. Typically as an Alphadaddy, I can hold this form for about three hours, with a rest of four hours to regain my strength. However, with my current strength at this time… I can possibly last another ten minutes or so. The others can transform, or shift, if they wish to as well. They have their own time constraints they adhere to or else they may fall down due to over expenditure of magic.”

Fall down? That’s monster terminology for…! 

“Shit, this isn’t hurting you, is it?! Like, staying in this form? Alpha, I can help myself-!”

A finger falls upon your lips, mumming you. A dust of pink kisses your cheeks as you look up at him. You didn’t quite expect to see such a soft look upon his face, mixed with a hint of concern and frustration. He shakes his head and he lowers his finger. Grabbing a hold of the supplies and placing it back into the little medical kit, the Alphadaddy; or Alpha you’ve come to call him, looks at you.

“Worry about yourself, Miss ‘phones. You have given my pack and me shelter, for that I am thankful, grateful even. In return, I offer my aid. We are even, for now.”

You jump down from the counter, looking over your arms. It looks… fairly taken care of, for being mended by a… bitty-bone? Is that what he called himself? You look over to him, watching as he peeks his head around the corner of the kitchen. Yeah, not so bitty right now is he? 

“Are they doing okay?” 

You speak up as you open the fridge, hm… what do these guys eat? No doubt they have to be hungry. “Mm… yes, all pups are resting well it seems.” You duck your head down, looking at the rarely used lower shelves. “Pups? Awww, is that what you call them? I mean, yeah I guess you guys do look kinda canine-like, so it makes some sense. Oh, what do ya eat by the way? I don’t really have much.” You should really go grocery shopping, you have just the bare basics. Since you work so much you don’t eat a lot at home, preferring to eat during your shift or grabbing a snack to hold you over. 

“Meat, raw, is a standard necessity for us. We are omnivorous by nature, with each of us having our own likes and dislikes. Meat gives us energy and helps our magic build up again in our souls.”

You look down, spotting the once again tiny Alpha standing below you. He’s looking at your refrigerator… with not a very happy face. You pout and stick your tongue out at him. “Hey, don’t judge my pickings. I coupon to save money, so it’s not like I afford choice cuts.” You pull out a tray of cubed beef; originally for stew, and you swear you hear the cutest purring noise for the little guy. You snicker as you look down at him, oh my god, the tip of his tail is twitching the tiniest amount. So cute!

“Hey, would this be okay? I mean, it’s a small square for me, but it’s like close to the size of your head for you.” You chuckle as you turn and place it on the-oh when the hell did he get onto the counter? Can these things like, teleport or something? That’s… kinda creepy, and cool.

“No, that is perfectly fine. Would you please season it? Just salt and pepper is fine. I will find a way to repay you for your hospitality.”

“Psh, you don’t need to. I mean, it’s actually kind of nice to have someone else in the apartment again… it does get a bit lonely sometimes…”

Alpha watches as your eyes seem to mist over as a forlorn look overcomes you. As he goes to speak up; he watches as if by a switch, your face returns to its original much happier mood. Instead of pressing the issue, he steers clear of it, having issues in the past himself… 

He understands. 

Sitting down with his legs hanging over the edge of the counter, he watches as you spoon a few morsels into a plastic bowl. His maw falls open as you go about tossing them with a fork to season them to perfection. His hand covers over his stomach area, a pang of hunger stabbing at him. A proper meal… after so long…

“Alright… and as you are already here and waiting, you get the first bite!”

Standing to his feet, he salivates as he nears the plastic bowl. His tongue licks over his fangs as the smell slams into his senses. “I hate to say it, but sadly I don’t have any tiny utensils. Is eating with your hands okay? I have napkins-... heh, couldn’t even wait for me to spoon it out for ya?” 

His claws dig into the flesh as his fangs sink into the first bite. He leans over the edge of the bowl to keep from creating anymore of a mess; he may be hungry but not that uncouth. His stomach churns and his magic flourishes through his bones as a wave of rejuvenation washes over him. His tail twitches, before swinging about in a full on wagging motion. He hasn’t been this happy in ages!

Delighted and absolutely beside yourself watching his tail flail about, you watch as he devours the meat wedge. You chuckle to yourself and you work on cutting the other pieces smaller for the little ones. A warm feeling blossoms in your chest, and a smile dresses your lips. It’s… nice to care for someone again. To have someone rely on you. Alpha must catch on as he glances up at you, a curious look upon his face. You turn away from him, focusing on cutting the meat and well, not your fingers. 

“Was that okay? I know it’s not-”

“It’s perfect, thank you.”

Silenced by his praise, you both finish your tasks within a pleasant air of calm. You place the knife in the now drained sink and rinse your hands of the meat’s juices. You offer a damp soapy napkin for him to use to wash his hands after you catch him licking his fingers. The cutting board soon follows after the knife, gently placed as to minimize any loud sounds. Picking the bowl up, you offer him a hand to step up onto.

He hesitates.

Your chest aches.

His head turns away.

You return your hand to your side.

“...Here, um, let’s go feed the little ones, ok?”

You snag a roll of paper towels as you step past him and head into the living room area. Like, you understand that you shouldn’t expect him to trust you right away. Still, it does hurt. You’ve done nothing wrong on all accounts; yet, an air of fear and mistrust ebbed from him when he stared down your hand. Just… what had happened to these guys? Abuse? Mistreatment? Lord knows what, and to be honest, you might never find out.

Sitting carefully on the floor, you roll out the paper towels in a double layer. Placing the plastic bowl containing their meal in the middle, you glance up to them resting in the bundle. Alpha stands beside it now, his head twitching around as he seems to look over his pack. You hear grumbling and see Bites sitting up, a claw rubbing over his eye sockets. He looks… still so tired. 

“Everyone, as much as I wish to not wake you, Miss here has brought us food.”

“Hmph, food huh? What scraps would that be? Bones and trash don’t make a meal.”

“Quiet. Miss ‘phones has provided us with fresh meats. I have eaten my fill and it is now your turns. Come on Beta, follow him down. I shall bring these two.” 

You watch as the beta of the pack, you guess,  cautiously follows behind Bites. They leap down and land on all fours like a beast, only to stand once again on their legs like man. Such interesting creatures. You scoot back to leave them room, resting your back against a part of the couch. You gaze over to Alpha and watch as he holds the tiniest one, a hint of concern on his face.

“Is everything alright?”

You speak softly as you lean towards them. Alpha’s hands work to rub the back of the little one’s spine. Their tail… is hanging behind it. A keening noise comes from the standing one in green as he shifts about. Alpha looks down at him, then back to the one in his arms. 

“Alpha?”

Something isn’t right.

“Pup, please stay here with Miss phones… I must attend to something.”

He disappears before your eyes, the all too stagnant pup in his arms. A heavy silence befalls you and the roommates, Mister Bites first to speak up. “Come on pup, you need your strength. Come here.” He instructs and pats the space between he and the beta. However, the pup doesn’t move. Still staring at the spot his alpha was at, the OmegaPapy remains still. Where is his brother? What’s wrong with him? Why wasn’t he-? 

“Hey, hey, come here. Ya heard the boss man, ya gotta get some grub in ya. You’re all, um, no skin and bones? Heh?”

The weak attempt at a joke actually has his tail twitching. A joke? How long has it been since he had enjoyed such a silly thing. His bright eyes peak behind him and spots the hand you are offering to him. Your smile encourages him, and he steps forward to sit in your palm. He expresses a hushed murrs as you stroke his back with your thumb. He seems to have calmed down now that you are distracting him with you gentle motions. You lean forward and place your hand down, the beta quickly stepping over to collect the shaky one from your palm. You slowly stand to your feet, glancing around the area. Where had Alpha gone?

“I’m, uh, gonna use the bathroom and do stuff if you need me. You guys enjoy, okay?”

Too caught up in their meal; oh gosh the little one is absolutely stuffing his face right now. Ugh, too darn adorable. Wait, can these things choke? They don’t really have like, a throat or lungs? Right? Nonetheless, you step around them with a wide berth to avoid any issues. This seems to satisfy Bites as all he does is growl; which dies away as he munches on the flesh bits. Turning your attention away from there, you hustle towards the kitchen. 

He’s not there.

You huff, this knotting feeling in your stomach tightening. Something is not right. You peak through all the cabinets. Nothing. You listen quietly, only hearing the murmuring of the three in the living room. Fuck, you even look in the refrigerator and the freezer, nothing. Your heart beat increases, thrumming in your ears. Where are they?

Attempting not to draw a panic from the others, you walk down the small hallway towards your bathroom with a bit of a hustle. It’s dimly lit by the raising sunlight from the window, illuminating the needing to be cleaned restroom. Scattered makeup supplies and dirty towels lay on the floor; you quickly pick them up and place them in the laundry bin. You look over the tub. You gulp, your nerves on fire. No one there, just some stray strands of hair which refused to slide down the drain. Gross. Only one place left to check that means...

Your bedroom.

One final check in your closet hallway finds it, yet again, barren of bitties. Stealthy you step into the hallway, your door only cracked open a bit. A force of habit which never left you since childhood, always wanting a wee bit of privacy for your personal space. Your black out curtains should be hanging over the windows… yet… why do you see a glowing from within the darkness? You step forward, bracing yourself against the door. You squint as your eyes adjust, but your ears pick up on something first.

Heavy breathing. 

“...pup...”

Your eyes widen.

“...finally safe…”

Your hand slides over your mouth.

You lower lip trembles.

“...please…”

Alpha rest by your pillow, the pup in his arms. His magic, ever the most beautiful of mauve ebbs around him. He’s shaking. He’s panting. He’s pleading. He’s… so desperate. Your knees shake as you wish to help. What can you do? You don’t even know what he’s doing. From above them you can just barely see two glowing... orbs? Orbs floating above them. One seems to ache and throb with distress, the other one... is much weaker than the other, seeming to just hover in a perpetual suspension. He lets out a bellowing wail like growl, it echoes in your ears. It’s an agonizing sound of anguish… one you know well. You watch as his sockets squeeze shut as he draws the limp body to his chest.

 

_“...don’t **die.”**_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoop, whoop! I'm on a rolllllll! I updated Underground City AND KE/FH in the same weeeeeeeek!!! Yay!
> 
> On a sad note, it hurt to write this chapter :'(  
> Stay tuned to see how you help fix this situation! Stay determined!


	4. A Taste of Determination

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Feels
> 
> Lyrics at end of chapter from: [_The Voice by Celtic Women._](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgDqrziAryw)

Silence.

Just how does one respond…

“...Alpha?”

...to such a macabre scene?

 

The radiance diminishes in the room, returning once more to the dark cavern you call your room. Swallowing back the salivation which has built up in your mouth, you step within the bedroom. It’s so terribly quiet. The hairs on your arms rise as you take another step in, the door closing just a bit behind you. You can just barely make out the forms on the bed. Another step. Another breath.

“Alpha?”

You call again.

Two steps.

A gain in confidence.

You hear breathing.

It’s… so light, yet labored.

Struggling.

Your knees rest on the bedside as you carefully lean forward over the two collapsed forms. The breathing is from Alpha, he lays next to the tiny one… who is yet again… not moving. A chill pierces down your spine and you feel your throat tighten. Had… had you interrupted something you should not have? You reach forward, carefully palming alpha in your hand. He, okay, he is just out cold. Darkness mars the bone beneath his sockets, he just looks so… drained. Yes, that would be the correct term. Shifting him to rest at the center of your pillow, oh he looks much happier now.

Your attention shifts to the small one.

The dirty pale blue shirt rests upon the lithe boned creature huddled in an unmoving bundle. Were… were you too late? You carefully slide your hand beneath the creature, its small form falling into the skin cushion. He’s, well… not warm… but not cold. An odd neutrality to it. Alpha; on the other hand, when you handled him you felt a tad of warmth to his figure. You bring it closer to your face and look upon it’s own. It’s so small… like a newborn kitten as it lays on its belly.

“Little one? Can you hear me?”

No response.

Pricks of dampness stain your cheeks. Too late… You were too late.

Again.

Cradling the limp creature to your chest, you lean back on the pillow adjacent to the resting Alpha. Breathe. Swallow. Sniffle. No, you can’t give up. You just… you just need some sort of idea. Your eyes shift over to your night stand. Alarm clock. Old glass of water. Lamp. Magazine. Charging cable. Necklace-

Oh?

You lean over and grab the magazine, resting it against your bent legs like a portable desk. Perhaps… something in here? The magazine is nothing special, just a local one you can pick up down by your mail box. Flipping through the pages, nothing really grabs your attention. Politics. Garage sales. Wanted ads. Houses for sale. Local events. All the while searching, you softly stroke the spine of the motionless one. Perhaps there truly is nothing you can do. Your grip tightens and crinkles the magazine’s corner.

Useless.

In a mix of desperation and frustration, you toss the useless booklet to the side. It flutters and flails in the air, until it collides with the curtains. It falls to the ground with a violent noise on the wooden flooring. The sun trickles in as the curtains flutter. Your heart aches. Your throat locks up.

Fuck.

_FUCK!_

Why hadn’t you found them sooner? Why, why, why?! Something so small, so innocent, something like that should not have been in such a world of the wild. The unknown. A life living in such conditions… no wonder this one could not take it. Your hands cover your eyes as a low wail of anguish expresses itself from your lips. You choke back a sob as the heaviness of your conscious slams into you.

Guilt.

Shame.

“Just… please, give me another chance…”

You beg to no one but the air.

“...j-just… show me a sign… show that I can…”

Your hands slide from your face, falling to your mouth.

“....help…?”

Blurry vision hinders your sight. Yet, a stream of light pierces the darkness of the room… leading straight to the discarded and useless journalism you had tossed. The glossy back cover shimmers as the curtain falls back into its place. You rub your eyes and clear your vision. The back shows a… a woman? One resting in a hospital bed. On her chest, a lump of bedding covering what seems to be a newborn.

_Miracle Baby_

Reads the title.

_The Importance of Skin to Skin Contact_

Reads the heading.

…

Shifting to cradle the limp body once more against you, you snatch the booklet from the ground. Once against resting on your thighs, you focus on the back page article itself. It’s a story about a mother’s journey and experience in having a premature baby. She speaks about how devastated her husband and she were that their son was born two months early due to an infection she had contracted. Your finger holds your eyes in place as you read over her recollection.

_“...He was just so small when he entered our world… I swear, I could nearly fit him in my palm. I cried. I cried, thinking I was going to lose my son over something I feel like I could have prevented…”_

You glance down at the pup on your chest.

_“...He was so weak, tubes and oxygen decorated his body. He was such a fighter, I am very proud of him. Yet, he was losing a war he was not meant to fight. Nothing was working out as planned. It seems the infection which endangered my life had spread through me… and into him...”_

Your throat tightens.

No.

Keep going.

 _“...The nurse, bless her, she came over and held my hand as I watched my husband s-st, stroke;_ ah,” You clear your straining throat. “Ahem, _I watched my husband stroke his cheek as he slept. Breaking protocol, she asked if I wished to hold my… my dying child. N-No doubt, I said yes. She removed him from the bassinet and carefully placed him upon my bare chest. His small form rested upon my bosom.”_

You glance down once more.

_“...Naked we lay, silent as I enjoyed his touch. Skin to skin. A connection. A bond. I remember stroking his back, softly humming to myself to pass the time. My husband left for work as I remember praying, staring out the window. No television or music to distract me. Nothing but beeps of the monitors and muffled nurse talk from the hallway…”_

Your eyes widen.

 _“...We spent hours like this, only interrupted by a change in diaper or for a feeding through his tube. Over time, I began to notice a difference in my son. His breathing began to normalize. Blood pressure followed suite. His heartbeat… became stronger… more in sync and stable. He started moving, grasping with those tiny hands of his at the air. I became aware of his every movement, his every being. Perhaps…_ Perhaps…”

You can’t finish.

You place the magazine to the side.

Skin to skin.

Perhaps…

Skin to… bone?

“...It’s worth a shot.”

Placing the pup on your lap, you carefully lift the sweater off your body and shiver as the room’s chill cascades goosebumps across your skin. Before tossing it to the side, you glance over to Alpha. Still asleep. Relaxed. You glance at the door. Perhaps the others have returned for a rest as well, you do not hear their talking anymore. The sweater flutters to the floor as it slips from your fingers. Cautiously you scoop up the pup as you lean back. Placing him down near your heart, you sigh out of disheartenment. This… something… has to work...

Please.

You calm down as you take in many breaths and attempt to clear your mind. Your thrumming heart easing into a gentle beating. A pattern of tranquility. A melody of peace. You raise a finger and with the lightest of touch, trace over the spine of the little one. Minutes pass by, turning to an hour... nothing happens.

What else had the woman wrote about? Quiet; outside of the light snoring of the Alpha… yes, all too quiet. Quiet and calm. Perfect. What else? Humming… yes, humming. You search your soul to recall a placid tone, one you remember hearing a long time ago. Humming soon turns to whistling… which shortly becomes singing…

Head falls back against the headboard.

**_...I hear your voice on the wind…_ **

_**...and I hear you call out my name…** _

Breathe.

**_Listen, my child, you say to me,_ **

_**I am the voice of your history.** _

Smile.

**_Be not afraid, come follow me,_ **

_**Answer my call and I will set... you... free…!** _

Fist clench.

Inhale.

**_I am the voice in the wind and the pouring rain,_ **

_**I am the voice of your hunger and pain,** _

Exhale.

**_I am the voice that always is calling you,_ **

_**I am the voice,** _

Glance down.

_**I will remain…** _

Hold closer.

**_I am the voice in the fields when the summer’s gone,_ **

_**The dance of the leaves when the autumn winds blow.** _

Eyes close.

**_Ne’er do I sleep throughout all the cold winter long,_ **

_**I am the force that in spring time will grow…** _

Breathe.

...

...

...

Frown.

**_I am the voice of the past that will always be,_ **

_**Filled with my sorrow and blood in my fields.** _

Breathe.

_**I am the voice of the future!** _

Smile.

**_Bring me your peace…_ **

_**Bring me your peace, and my wounds…** _

Sigh.

_**They will heal...** _

Deep breath.

Inhale.

Exhale.

**_I am the voice that always is calling you,_ **

_**I am the voice...** _

Inhale.

_**I am the voice.** _

Exhale.

_**I am the voice!** _

…

“...Hah...hah...ah...mm...”

Of course, carried away with singing again are you? While you may be too nervous to do so in public, you always find yourself singing in private. Just a moment to spill out your emotions through harmony ebbing from your core. To lose your breath after you express your desires and emotions in the form of sound. A truly lovely feeling at that. You take another breath and giggle as you feel your heart pulsating in your chest. A tad winded from the sudden belting of song no doubt, singing while laying in such a position probably not the best for your diaphragm. You could take lessons if you wanted, to teach you the right way to sing and train your voice.

Sigh.

“...P-Pretty...s...sound…”

Your eyes snap open.

You glance down.

You smile.

The little one... 

 

_Is awake._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not that cruel of a writer to kill off a bitty that soon...  
> Okay, maybe a tiny bit cruel. :)
> 
> And legit, skin-to-skin is a real thing I had researched at one point during high school for a project and I always wanted to make it a point in a story I wrote. Well damn, six years later I finally did it! Also the "article" in the story is not one I copied, this is one I came up with on my own. I am a very empathetic person and do my best to convey how a character can feel by using my own person experiences in my writing. While I have not gone through something such as this directly, something similar I did go through which I hope I was able to convey to you my dear reader.
> 
> I hope my writing style doesn't annoy anyone, I just like simplifying and emphasizing actions/emotions. 
> 
> **BIG NEWS!** I won the raffle drawing [Tomis-JB](http://tomis-jb.tumblr.com/) was having! AHHHHHH! He's going to help create a scene in Underground City!!!! Which one?! You'll see when I post it to the chapter update! Go check it out! Underground City updated recently too, go go go! Or check out my tumblr which I link on that story too and you can see the photo there when it comes out.
> 
> I really am glad to see the reception I am getting from this story. Be sure to see the original AU creator's blog that I linked and tell her a big thank you for such a cool inspiration! See you guys around!


	5. A Taste of Hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry for the delay. I've actually been down with pneumonia since last Tuesday and christ... I've never been this sick before. I feel like I've actually gained a six pack from coughing alone. However I was feeling good enough today to write a little bit. So... this isn't my best work, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless~! 
> 
> Thank you to those leaving such nice comments too (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄) I... I really appreciate them and they help keep me motivated! On with the story! 
> 
> Warning: PTSD

Such a exhausted gaze.

Yet...

Awake!

Alive!

…

 

Phew...

 

A smile paints itself across your lips as you carefully hold the little one against the skin of your breast. Your heart swells as solace washes over you. Okay, it’s alive. You need to feed it, bathe it, anything and everything to keep it off the path it was originally on. It makes the softest of squeaks as it attempts to speak, your motherly instincts kicking it into overdrive. Gently manoeuvring out of bed, you stand up and catch yourself in the mirror. Bra and leggings, hm, probably not the best outfit to gallivant in your apartment in. There are windows after all.

“Okay little one, just... hold on, I’m gonna grab my robe okay?”

“...m…”

You place the creature down on the large hazel throw; he whimpers immediately once your hand leaves his touch, and you quickly throw on a robe you’ve had for ages. It’s a plush cloth stylized with stripes of white swirling with your favorite shade of color in a beautiful marble pattern. Upon tying the belt around your waist, you fluff up the collar to allow a bit more boob room. You lean over and return the pup to your grasp, he keens quietly with delight. He must really love cuddling? Well… who doesn’t? You chuckle to yourself.

Nestled once more with your protective bosom; not a duo of words you ever thought would be together, you look over at the alpha. Good, sleeping soundly it seems. His body is completely relaxed within your pillow, a faint snore echoing from his skull. Good. Good. You glance at your clock and a yawn escapes you; it’s already seven in the morning. You should have had your coffee ages ago if you’re gonna stay awake.

Right.

Feed the pup.

Drink your coffee.

Easy check list, hopefully.

The bedroom door creaks behind you as you leave it ajar, can’t have the alpha freaking out when he wakes up in a dark room. You carry the little one to the kitchen, not without stopping in the living room to take a peek at the pack members. It seems they had crawled back up onto the blanket upon finishing their meal. You bend your knees as you hold the pup to your boob shelf; again, words you never thought to combine, and pick up the empty bowl and soiled towels. You flinch as you feel his claws scratch against the sensitive skin, the smell of the food must have awakened him more.

Returning to the kitchen, you gently place him down on the little napkins. Curled up again with his tail tucked under him, his dim tangerine eyes look up to meet yours. Placing the bowl into the sink, you smile down at him and can’t help but to gently stroke his head. He leans into the tip of your finger; his head no larger than a quarter, and his tail seems to slink out and begin to wag. So precious. You step back from him and pop open the fridge, looking over your options to feed him. You were kinda hoping the others would have left him some in the bowl… but you should have figured just how hungry they were.

“Okay pupper, food time. I have some lunch meat; I think it's turkey? Cheese… that’s moldy, okay, that’s got to go. Some… oh, some more cubed stew... beef...? Um?”

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

Uh… huh?

You sit up and look over at the little guy. He’s gone. He’s gone, _but,_ the baggie of your favorite chips is oddly scuttling about on the counter. Oh for-! This guy. He’s going to be the troublemaker. You pull out the little container of cubed beef; oh it's a marinated one, you hope he likes it, and place it on the counter top. The spices waft upwards to your nose and you can’t help but for your mouth to salivate. Perhaps you could have an early lunch?

Again you eye the moving bag as you place the container down and retrieve a spoon. With some curiosity, you tilt the bag over… and out spills some chips and a rather happy looking pup skating across the counter top on his behind. His pale blue shirt is dusted with chip crumbles and his eyes are sparkling within their sockets. Oh, he’s in love. The chip he holds is half his body size and he’s taken a large bite out of it, his claws holding the thing in his lap as he chomps away. Can, can these things eat junk food? Is that safe for them? He certainly looks happy, hopefully he’ll be okay.

“So… what cha doin’ with my favorite chips?”

You tease with an arched brow across your face, leaning against the cabinet space with your elbows on the tabletop. He pauses his indulgence and glances up at you, his little tongue hanging out mid-lick. Bless his tiny soul. You lift your hand to clear the chips away from him… and your heart shatters. Your eyes soften as you hand hangs midair. The little one… His arms and legs are pulled into himself in a defensive position, the chip falling beside him in the process. His sockets are squeezed shut as a mist forms in the corners.

Dear god.

“...n-no...hurt…i...sorry...”

He flinches.

He _whimpers._

He **_cowers._ **

Just what… just what had these creatures gone through?

Your hand snaps back to your side, so fast you narrowly knock your knuckles onto the hard surface. You step away, your heart pounding in your chest. He thinks… no, he can’t. He pushes back and his bone heels grind into the surface. He’s shrinking away. He looks panicked, his tail tucked underneath him in fear. He thinks you are going to hit him? Punish him?

For eating _chips?!_

“N-No! It’s okay, shhh...shhh… it’s okay. They’re just chips. They're good aren’t they? They’re my favorite! Wait, no, just cause they’re my favorite doesn’t mean I won’t share. It’s, that’s fine. Enjoy them, it’s okay. Seriously. You do need to eat something else too; here, smell this? It’s a tad spicy from the marinade. A-Alpha said you guys need raw meat to survive, ya?”

He doesn’t move, his body still creaking with shivers. Yet, you watch as his tiny snot seems to twitch. You hear a gentle grumble, and you believe it's his belly growling rather than he. You can see just a peek of his ghostly thin belly beneath his shirt as he shudders. He pauses and with a shaky motion, his body slowly unwinds from its fear filled stance. Grasping tightly onto the spoon, you scoop out a tiny piece and offer it before him. He reaches forward, pulls back, then again reaches when he sees that you are immobile.

Patience.

You take a slow, uneasy breath.

You must have patience.

With quick actions he grasps the meal and scampers away on all fours with it in his jaws, hiding behind the stack of dirty napkins. You really should throw them away when you get a chance. You place the spoon back into the plastic container and begin concentrating on your own nectar of the gods. With some deft work, you finally get ‘old reliable’ up and running, brewing your black gold to sate your growing need for a nap. The smell begins to waft in the air as you pull out the amount of cream and sugar you need for your daily dose of wake-up juice. Inhaling slowly to savor the aroma, you take in just a few moments of silence as you clear your thoughts… clear your mind; formatting a plan on how to go about your day off. However, those thoughts are interrupted when you hear the little one whimpering. Your eyes snap open and your head nearly whiplashes at the speed you look over at him. He’s nervously looking between the bowl, yourself, then back again. Okay, he’s okay.

“Want’s some more pup? How was the first piece?”

His little tail wagging behind him tells you more than enough.

“Here ya go, try some chips with it, I bet it’ll be great!”

Taking your word of advice, he places the piece of meat between two pieces of chips. Carefully he take a small bite… and without a second thought, he devours the second tiny cube of meat in an odd chip and raw meat sandwich with gusto. Kinda gross since it’s not cooked, but, whatever. At least he’s eating, right? Putting in the required portions of cream and sugar into your mug, you gulp down a few desperate sips and close your eyes, savoring the flavor. The pleasant heat cascades down your throat and fills your otherwise empty belly as you rest your backside to the cabinets. Perhaps you should take a nap after a morning like this? A nap sounds really good about now.

“...why...you... nice?”

The lip of the mug rests on your own as you peer down at the young one. Having finished his meal, he now works at cleaning his claws with his little tongue. His expression, however, is that of a young child filled by a joyous Thanksgiving day meal. Heck, you can see his belly filling out a bit more vibrantly, his magic must be regaining. Your lower the mug with a bright smile. He seems to be doing okay now, and hopefully won’t relapse into what ever happened just a bit ago. Wait, he had said something to you?

“...huh? Why am I, you said mice?”

His giggle is worth your silliness.

“Ohhh,” You pretend to have an epiphany.

“Nice? Why am I nice?”

He nods.

“Well, cause… I... am? I don’t know. Do I need a reason?”

You cock your brow down at him and the young one tilts his head to the side, perhaps in his own thoughts. He seems to shift around under your gaze so you turn away, once again focusing on the good ol’cuppa joe. A few beats of silence fill the air between you, silence only filled by sips of your coffee flowing through your lips. You hear him moving on the counter top; the clicking of his bare feet on the tabletop a give away, and feel a nudge at your elbow. Glancing down, you see it’s the little one nuzzling against you.

“Happy little one?”

“...”

He seems unsure; his little claws clicking together before him, but he nods slowly as his tail begins wag a tiny bit behind him. Good; happy, full, and hopefully healthy… you’ve done your job. You place your almost empty mug down and offer your palm to him. He looks at your palm for but a moment, then climbs into it. He wiggles comfortably and crosses his legs, bracing himself against your thumb. Gently you hold him to your chest once more and make your way pack to the living room. Before you can even relax onto the far end of the couch, you hear soft snoring from the little on in your hand.

Resting your head back against the cushion, your eyes begin to droop. Deep breath in, deep breath out. Your eyes scan over the sleeping ones on the other side, nested within the blanket’s warm hold. Mister Bites seems to be dozing with the beta and other one within his reach. You make a mental note to have them all bathe once awakened, and get the heated blanket cleaned afterwards. You place the little one against your breast, he relaxes against the curve of your bosom. Deep breath in, deep breath out. You eyes flutter closed with the weight of this morning dragging them down.

“...B-Brother?”

You jolt slightly from your doze, cracking your eyes open to look down to your right. It’s the one wearing the holey shirt again. His bright orange eyes are filled with worry, yet intrigue, as he glances between you and the one asleep on your chest. Brother? Yes, he said brother. A gentle smile dresses your lips as you point to the one asleep with your left hand, nodding towards him. You whisper, just above a breath, as to not scare him.

“Would you like to be with your brother?”

He keens happily, tail wagging as he crawls upon the robe and snuggles next to his brother. His brother, despite being long since asleep, cuddles into his chest and grips onto his ribs like a lifeline. Tucking your chin towards your chest, you watch them as you recline back once more into a comfortable position. The taller of the two; gosh, you really need to give them names, nuzzles into the smaller one’s skull. He nibbles and croons against the head of the sleeping one, lulling him back into a peaceful rest. Your heart warms as they spoon together, your fingers lightly stroking against their spines. In the corner of your eye you catch Bites shifting and growling uncomfortably in his sleep, his sockets slowly opening as he seems to sniff around.

“It’s okay, they’re here with me. Right here, resting, everything’s okay.”

He bares his fangs towards your voice as he gains consciousness. A sigh escapes you as you gently scoop up the two and gently place it down beside Bites. An aura surrounds them and draws them closer to his small body. His eye lights flicker in and out as he tries to maintain his woken status, but ones the two are by his side he’s out again… snoring. It’s… actually rather cute. You lean closer as you examine them, noting the odd characteristics to each. Bites has larger large horns across his head, his brow in a constant crease. A part of you wonders if he is truly getting a deep sleep that he desperately needs, or, perhaps this is like how-mm… nevermind.

You shake your heads of your previous thoughts. Now is not the time to reminisce. Shifting off of the couch with practiced ease, you head back into your bathroom. Perhaps a nice shower to wake you from your morning stress induced stupor is exactly what you need. The overhead light flickers on as you press the switch, you close the door behind you. You wince when you gaze over at yourself in the mirror. Yeah, shower, desperately needed. Hanging the robe on its home upon the hooks, you bend over and allow the water to heat. Rumbling to life, the shower water cascades down to the floor; ah, the steam, feels great on your chilled face.

Stripping yourself of your undergarments and leggings, you flinch once more seeing yourself in the mirror. Cuts, bruises, the bandages… yikes. With a muffled groan, you peal the gauze away from your arms. Thankfully, it seems the injuries have at least scabbed over. Perhaps some air and water to wash the skin will do the healing process well. Insuring your towel is within arm’s reach of the shower, you step in and oh god… the water is just perfect. Your muscles relax and the tension melts away as the water curves your body like a warm blanket. If it wasn’t for the guests outside in your dwelling, perhaps you would have bathed. It’s been awhile since you have done such a thing.

Your fingers run through your hair as you incorporate the shampoo and conditioner throughout each strand. What should have taken a few minutes turns to an hour as you clean yourself head to toe; not having felt this clean for a long time. The shower clicks off as you finish wringing your hair out; the final spritz of water smacking against the flooring. Your feet meet the soft rug outside the bathtub’s home, the towel you snatch from the wall you wrap around your body. You grab your brush and quickly glide it through your locks, the conditioner having dispelled any knots created by the fall weather. You squint as you pause before your sink.

Hmmm…

The glass mirror is all steamed up, limiting your visibility of you to just a foggy blob. Your eyes glance over to the door as your lower lip puckers into a pout. Well, time to face the cold then. Begrudgingly. You twist the knob as you tighten your hold of the towel, bracing yourself for the kiss of chill breeze. The suction of the steamed air pours out into the hallway, a shiver skipping down your spine as you are awashed with fresh air. Steadily you watch as the foggy mirror seems to gain clarity. Perfect! Now all that is left... is… is to…?

What…

What is that sound?

You step into the hallway, your bare feet patting against the ground. It’s just above a whisper. A low and trembling sound, reverberating deep within your ear drums like a ghastly echo. Glancing to your bedroom door just steps away… yes, this is where the source is coming from. You bite your lower lip, teeth almost piercing the soft flesh as you strut forward with a swell of courage. It’s your room, what could you be afraid of in-the Alpha! You left the Alpha! He must have awoken!

The door creaks open with your sudden force, your eyes wide and scouting about with alert. The crooning is louder in here, heavy and weighing significantly on your chest. Your eyes take a moment to adjust and you see the Alpha, standing, back to you. Your inhale sharply, only to flinch in disgust. This smell… ugh, had something soured in your room and you had not noticed? You bite back your nerves as you step deeper into the room. The door closes silently behind you, just a thread of light from the hallway still allowing you some darkness reprieve.

“A-Alpha? Are you okay?”

The grim trill stops short, but your trembling hastens. Wait, since when were you trembling? You hold the towel tighter to you, your feet shifting across the wooden floor with aged creaking. You rest your knees on the bed side as you look down upon him. Now that you are closer to him, you feel your stomach lurch and twist with nauseousness. The smell… is ebbing from him.

“Can’t you see…”

He’s speaking again, his voice empty and yet… yet filled with such anger. Your brows furrow as your head bobs to the side in confusion. See? Well, not all too well considering how dark the room is. Your lips part to reply to him, his once mournful echoing has turned to growls, his tail twitching with agitation behind him. Your mouth snaps closed and you quickly stand to your feet, fleeing out of experience. Never corner an angered animal, give them plenty of space.

“Al...Alpha…? What’s wrong?”

…

“What’s… wrong…?”

He asks, looking straight ahead at the pillows. You nod with a hum of recognition, still not all too clear as to what’s happening. He turns on his heels, his crystal eyes flaring with a magical heat. His fangs bare towards you as a gasp escapes you. Tears, small tears slide down his scarred face. He does not speak, but merely snaps at you with his fangs.

“What is?! What is wrong is that I, as an **Alpha!** An Alpha that has failed _again!”_  

He shouts and growls once more seeing the confusion written upon your face. He snarls as the dark thoughts encroach on him, he takes two steps back and holds his head. Humans could never understand how it feels to fail one’s pack.  To lose those that belong to you. Terrible. Can’t even protect his back. Too trusting. Can’t keep them fed. Failure. Can’t keep them healthy. A failure to his pack. Sick. A failure to himself. Dying. Can’t keep… can’t… keep… them...

He eyes the empty pillows. He chokes out a heavy sob as he sinks back to curl his tail around him. Pathetic. He’s lost another. Right out of his arms. With his last bit of strength he could not keep the young one awake. Their soul… their soul… it...

“...Alive.”

He pauses his derailing train of thoughts to glance up at you. You… you had just spoke, didn’t you? His jaw opens, yet he can not speak. He snarls as he slowly stands with quaking legs, claws flexing and curling as he tries to keep calm. He watches as you flinch back, grasping your arms closer to your chest. The arm… he had nursed back to health. Right, this is the kind human. The one who rescued his pack while he was incapacitated. Your mouth trembles as you gain the confidence to speak once more. There's a warmth to your eyes, and he feels his soul's panicked state begin to ease. 

“...If, if you're looking for the pup… he’s out there sleeping with his brother. I um, brought him there while you were sleeping.”

The room goes mute as the Alpha before you stops making any semblance of sound. You reach forward to-no, your arm drops to your side. Picking him up... probably is not a good idea. He did not like that before. You take a deep breath-wait, the smells gone?-and exhale out with a small cough to clear your throat. You nod towards the door but do not move else wise.

“If you go out there, you’ll see them, I promise. Everything’s okay. Okay? I, I’ll…”

Your voice leaves you as you look away. Shit, you probably made him mad but touching his packmate without him knowing. That's why he's probably so made right now. You swallow your knotting throat and turn back to him with a big smile.

“Well, come one now, get going to them. If I don’t get dressed soon I’ll catch a chill. Who's going to get you guys food from the store then? Haha...”

You laugh is light on the air as you turn to face your drawer. Superb acting right there. Just as your hand rests on the drawer, you notice the room brighten up as more of the hallway light streams into the room. Glancing over your shoulder you watch the the Alpha makes his way down the hallway with rather hurried movements. You sit up as you pull forth a baggy comfortable shirt to wear, holding to your chest as the Alpha stops at the end of the hallway.

Despite his small stature, you can see his body straighten, his tail lash out behind him stiffening. The beams of sun caress his silhouette and you see him raise on his clawed feet to look about. His head is bobbing as he seems to be counting all of his resting pack mates on the couch. On the fourth bob he halts, his sockets wide on his skull. He mouths something as you can see light slip between his jowl and tongue. His head whips back to face you, a look of disbelief painting his facade. You nod in the direction of the couch as you step forward to close the door, giving you some privacy to dress. The Alpha brings his right hand across his chest and the other behind his back as you watch once more as he bends at the waist before you. His voice, deep and velvet as it maybe... cracks as he speaks and rises once more.

“...Thank you…”

The door closes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On a side note I finally got to commission Alphalioness, so I'm super hyped to see the picture come out since it's going to be based on a scene in the story~! Go say hi to her and thank her for her amazing AU! She's actually really nice and we've been chatting pretty often. Also, check out her comic *_* hawt damn. Everything's linked on the first chapter~
> 
> I'm trying to write these as often as possible, but, ya know, holidays are around the corner.  
> My birthday too! I'll be 24 on the 11/29 (ﾉ>ω


	6. A Taste of Pride

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya guys! Hope everyone had pretty good holiday weekend (for those of my American peeps), I worked! Lol at least I get tomorrow off, for my birthday day! Whoop! I'll be 24! :3 I plan to do a lot of writing cause I've hadn't much time these past few days due to holiday work crap. 
> 
> Oh! For those who haven't seen, my commission was completed and posted one Alphalioness's NSFW blog! I love it!!! If you've seen it, whatcha think? Excited for the future chapter concerning the picture? I know I am!
> 
> Haven't seen it? Don't! Keep it a surprise :) I plan on incorporating a few pictures into the story as I'm working on my own drawing skills. Would you guys like that? Be sure to tell Alphalioness if you love her art! She's super sweet and extra talented!

“I think I’m gonna call him…

Yes, it's perfect!

"...Chip.”

Your voice pierces the silent air of the apartment, despite its quiet nature. You smile down upon Alpha; who holds within his arms the young one you’ve deemed as Chip. Alpha’s smoky blues shift within his darkened sockets as he continues to stroke the head of the sleeping one. His cracked face shifts as he arches a bone-brow to you, looking to you confused about the name. You snicker to yourself as you pull your laptop back onto your awaiting thighs. You flick your drying hair away from your face as you settle down within the couch comfortably. You watch as it flickers to life and you type in your password. Slowly everything churns to life and your click open the browser.

“Well, while you were sleeping, we had a silly mishap where he climbed into my bag of chips on the counter. Oh, he was just precious! He was skittering about on the counter top and I had to dump him out! When I did, he had eaten some of the chips and was covered in crumbs. Hahah! He just devoured those things like it was his… his first… meal… oh...”

Your voice trails off as you think about it; to be honest, it probably was his first meal in a long time. Guilt grips you and well, now the whole chip situation doesn’t seem as funny anymore… Alpha seems to sense what you were getting at and you watch as his tongue laps against the top of Chip’s head in a comforting manner. Chip murrs quietly in his resting state, pawing like a kitten against Alpha’s chest. A huff of sighing air escapes you as your eyes soften. Poor little guy, what a trooper. Your eyes flicker away from the two and over to the other three. Boss man, or Bites; you still haven’t decided what to call him, is holding the two as they snooze. The two… Papys you think they were called, are nuzzling together. They do look very similar to each other; their heights, clothing, and slight skull shape being the only things that differentiate them.

Names.

You really need to think of names.

Your lips purse as pull yourself away from looking at them and you glance over to the time on your computer. It feels like hours have passed since everything went down this morning… yet, it's just barely passing noon now. With a few clicks of your mouse, you begin to pull up information about bitties like the ones you are currently… fostering? Yes, that is probably the best terminology to use at this time. Tapping away at the keyboard, you pull up a few webpages which provide suggestions and advice for new bitty owners. Perfect!

“So…”

You trail off, catching the attention of Alpha grooming away little Chip. He shifts to rest Chip upon his lap, turning to regard you under watchful eyes. You nod towards the screen and roll your mouse over a few links on the screen. Tiny images pop up displaying what is featured on each page. Oh cool, it even shows some bitties modeling the objects!

“Alpha, is there anything you guys need while you're here? I’m on the website now and see a few things I could probably get you guys. Clothing… Toys...”

You make a few clicks on the screen and watch as hundreds of items pop up on the screen… and their prices. Holy shit, a lot of these are crazy expensive. In the corner of your eyes you watch as Alpha cradles Chip and leaps with ease onto your arm; you can barely feel him. He makes his way across and sits on your laptop’s shelf where you usually rest your wrist, his tails lazily swaying behind him. He seems to be contemplating what’s on the screen. You remain silent as you slowly scroll down the webpage. Enclosures... bedding... food… wait, vitamins? Breeding apparatuses?! What the hell?!

A choked cough escapes you as you click to a different page, face flushing at the sight of all the different… er… equipment. You see Alpha fidget; probably uncomfortably, and he shifts Chip to rest against his other shoulder. You fiddle with a few links and come to a page selling clothing. Perfect! Praise it all there’s a sale section! Thank god! You click the link; probably all too quickly, and it shows what’s considered ‘out of season’ clothing options. Do people really care about that? Wait… would Alpha and them care about that? Your eyes shift down to Alphas with your brows furrowed in question. Alpha seems to sense you looking at him and he gazes up with a smug yet bemused look about him. Okay, fine, guess it doesn’t matter to them either. Clothing is clothing. He speaks up in his quiet yet alluringly calm voice. Something about how he speaks... you can not help but to listen to him.

“To answer your question Miss, bedding would be nice… however not quite essential as this website states. Somewhat. We do not require such posh adornments and fabrics, be it, they would be nice. Again, not essential. If you have an older blanket which you don’t mind shredding into smaller squares, that would be just fine. At this time, clothing I must say is becoming more of a need…”

He trails off as a look of… scorn? Resentment? Something not all too positive flashes across his face. You nod above him, your fingers clicking a few cheaper items into the basket. Pants… dresses? Eh, sure, why not. You pull open a few tabs as you ponder to yourself the breeds of these five. According to the website, Alpha is an Alpha... Gaster? Oh! Alphadaddy is their nickname; like how Pitbull dogs are known as Pitties to some. Huh, the more you know, right? Yes, an Alpha Gaster no doubt; based on his elegant skull embellished with the natural scars and sharp horns, just like a few pictures on the website. Chip… you squint down at him and Alpha wraps a protective arm around him as he narrows his gaze. Shit, not what you meant.

“Oh, um, Alpha… what types of, um breeds of… what are you guys considered? I know what you are,” You nod to the screen. “...but what of the others? Like Chip and his brother? The beta? The… biter.”

You pout and mockingly glare in the little guy’s direction. He twitches in his sleep, his little leg kicking back and forth. Fuck. No. He’s… damn it, he’s cute! Ugh. You can’t stay mad. You grumble under your breath and look back to Alpha, who has been using the mouse to click a few things here and there. You lean forward a tad and examine the things he has selected. Alpha...Sans? Alpha San’s jewelry? Omega Papyrus plush toys, Omega Sans… bells? Sure, why not. Beta Papyrus chew toys and balls? Hm, an odd mix, but sounds nothing too unreasonable. You wait for him to pull up a tab for himself… and he doesn’t. You look down upon him with an arched brow, yet, he doesn’t seem to quite understand what you are expecting from him. What? He doesn’t have needs? You’ll drop it for now, but you are definitely going to get him something.

“So, Alpha, just to make sure I got this right… Bites over there is an Alpha Sans? Chip here is an, oh, an Omega Sans, right? Since he’s similar to Bites? Bites just looks more… srnk, badass?”

You giggle under your breath as he nods along, rolling his eye lights at the mention of the Alpha San’s nickname you have bestowed upon him. Okay, it's not the best nickname, but it's all you got right now. You need to get to know him better.

“So… that leaves the other two. You called one of them Beta earlier, ya? The one wearing the long and baggy orange-ish sweater? That’s like, your, um, second in command, right? Then the brother of Chip is wearing the holey green shirt? Well, maybe green is a strong word. It kinda reminds me of the color of, like… a spearmint gum color?”

Wait...

That’s!

Yeah!

You smile over to the Omega Papyrus, and then beam down at Alpha. “Mint! That’s what’ll call him. Mint and Chip! Oh, it’s so fits so nice since they're brothers! Don’t you think?” You lower your voice at the last of your words, your positive optimism causing Chip and the others to stir. A pleasant smile comes across Alpha’s maw and he nods, “I do believe the pup will enjoy such a name. I do believe I always seen him have a fondness over this shade of green; whether it was the cloth he wore or the fabrics he acquired over time for his nest. Mint and Chip… sound perfect.” With moment of giddiness tickling you, you are quick to find more clothing for Mint in colors he would enjoy. Cloth and toys of similar shades of natural sea foam fill the shopping cart.

As you select the final item, you flinch as your eyes scan over the total cost as of now. You're already at thirty-five dollars in the cart… with just one pup done. Your stomach churns on itself, or are you just hungry? Either way… oh boy. Maybe you’ll have to reach into a bit of your savings. Following suit, you read over things Chip might like. Apparently the chiming sound of bells is rather soothing to their breed. You select a pack of bells for him to enjoy; one even hidden within a toy! Oh you hope he likes that one. You go to select a size of shirt for him, when Alpha stops you by placing a hand on your own.

“If I can make a suggestion, er, Chip? Yes, Chip prefers his clothing larger on him; baggy and soft. Could you possibly select a size or so larger?”

“Oh, of course! Don’t be shy to let me know what everyone wants. I mean, you know them better than me after all.”

You smile warmly while typing away and selecting a bit larger than normal clothing for Chip. Soft fabrics of light shades of color seems to be what Alpha selects and suggests. You feel your heart flutter as you watch him with great eagerness he selects clothing he seems fit for his pack mates. He really does care for his pack, its pretty admirable. In a pleasant silence you guys sit together, clicking away at items in the Sale Section and adding them into the cart. Chip and Mint are relatively easy to shop for; most of what Mint would wear could fit Chip since he loves larger clothing. The Beta Papyrus is next to shop for.

According to research and Alpha’s own suggestions, Beta’s traditionally are just bundles on energy incarnate. They like breathable clothing so they can roam around the home freely; about to scout the perimeter like a guardsman. Cute, like your own little guard dog! A tiny guard dog… like a Chihuahua but with no fur. Heheh. Gross imagery there. Clothing does not matter much to them outside of that. No, their type's concerns are of toys, chewable objects, and overall from what you're looking at... it’s like he’s in a permanent puppy mood. Cool. You grab him some clothing too, unfortunately he and Mint have different tastes so the costs are starting to pile up. Alpha assures he will find someway to pay you back, but to be honest, you're not all too worried about the cost in the short run.

In the long run however…

No, you can do this. You might just have to think of another way to make some more cash. Pick up some extra shifts? Holidays are coming up, maybe you can pick up an extra side job? A thought flashes within your mind.

Why are you assuming they wish to stay at all.

You hear your name being called out to you.

“Huh? What?”

“Ma’am, your finger has been on that key for so long the computer is asking if it's stuck. Is all alright?”

You remove your finger from the ‘F’ key.

Appropriate.

“Oh, yeah, just thinking about what kinda treats you guys would like? Hah, they have pumpkin spice ones ‘cause of course they do! I’m guessing you won’t like chewing bones, right? Hahah...”

Alpha’s sockets narrow as he shifts to turn his focus back to the computer. You swallow away the tightness in your throat as you regain focus at the task at hand. Finishing up placing items into the cart, you glance at the checkout box. Total so far? Shit… one hundred-thirty with tax and shipping and handling? Let this just be a rare occasional shopping spree. Perhaps they won’t need extra clothing and junk too often.

Deep breath in.

Deep breath out.

“So! All that’s left is you Alphas, anything in particular to your liking?”

“No, no, I am quite alright. Please just focus on the others. Sans should be next on our list, correct?”

“...Yeah, he’s next.”

You grumble slightly under your breath as you pull up the tab featuring Alpha Sans’ needs. You won’t let go foregoing getting him anything, that’s not in your nature to treat all but one in a party. Nope. Never. Alpha speaks up again to draw your attention and you listen to his instructions. Bites, Alpha tells you, is a very unique bitty with… rather expensive he states rather pensively. He snorts with leering eyes over to the bitty. You swallow quietly under your breath before speaking, they have some tension between the two of them. You click a few outfits that would suit him, as well as a few tiny jackets that he might like. One has a skull and crossbones on the back, with roses surrounding it! Hell, you want that in your size!

“Could you fill me in with what he really likes? I kinda want to win him over ya know?”

You half joke as you eye your wrist he’s bitten earlier. It’s healing nicely having scabbed over, just stings a bit if you angling it one way or another. Alpha makes a sound under his breath; a growl perhaps, before returning to stroking the slowly awakening Chip. “Naturally as an Alpha like myself, he is rather territorial to say the least. He would no doubt like his own space, or shelf, he can hide away to with furs to keep him satisfied.”

He glances over at the bitty, then back up to you. “He… likes frivolous things as well. Jewelry and other such adornments he would love to decorate himself and his nest with. He cherishes them; those of gold and silver ore to be his favorites.”

He... he doesn’t sound very happy informing you of this, and to be honest, you are a little put off. Shit. Jewelry? Furs? You have a small box of mismatched earrings, dented rings, and tangled necklaces… so outside of that you are no jewelry aficionado. Furs? You could scramble for some faux stuff, but even that can be tricky to find. If he wants real, he can get it himself. You raise a brow as you look over at Bites. Prissy little thing he’s turning out to be. You huff under your breath and take a moment to brainstorm. Jewelry for cheap… yet of good quality? You tap your chin in thought, glancing around the apartment for ideas.

“Well, um, okay. That’s okay. I can always check out the second hand store down the street if its a worse case scenario thing? I’ll do my best damn it!”

Alpha chuckles under his breath and the eyes flicker open of Chip… who you’ve yet to inform him of his name. He yawns and stretches, you can hear the tiniest of bones popping. How that works you wonder? No idea, better to just go with it. Alpha assists him in sitting up as he looks around with bleariness. Alpha whispers something to him and, as if shot in the arm with a needle filled with espresso, the little guy jumps from his arms and stands looking up at you with bright eye… lights?

“My... my Alpha tells me you have something for me!”

Oh my gosh, he sounds so excited. Alpha stands behind him with a soft gaze upon him, his large tail curling around the little one’s hips. If you focus, you can even see his own tiny tail wagging about like crazy. If he’s acting this way for just a name, he’s going to be all over the place once he gets his other things you’ve yet to order. With a flick of your thumb, the screen behind them dims to sleep. Better to keep it a surprise for now. You clear your throat and smile hesitantly. Wait. What if he doesn’t like the name? Your smile falters and worry flickers within your eyes. What if he thinks it’s stupid? Or thinks that you’re making fun of him? Maybe this is a bad idea...

“Miss?”

“Oh! Oh… um, yes, little one. I um… I have a name I’d like to call you if that’s okay?”

Oh, oh! Holy cow, you were not expecting such a reaction. He jumps for joy, keening happily and loudly… too loudly in fact, to the point that the other three startle awake. Bites jumps up with a snarl, a flare of you suppose magic flickering within his sockets. Mint jumps up as well as with the Beta, looking around to reorient themselves. At once they look over to you, the cheering Chip, and… the face-palming Alpha.

“A name! A name! Please! Please! What is it?!”

You chuckle under your breath as the others seem to relax; well, except Bites. He still looks pretty peeved. You nod and reach up, softly stroking the tip of your index finger against his head. Huh, he has like… tiny ear like horns on his head? Sorta sharp too. He purrs at the contact and his tiny hands lace themselves over your digit in a pseudo hug.  What you hadn’t noticed, was Alpha’s body language. Tensing as your finger rested upon Chip’s head. His claws bracing within his folded arms. Magic flickering with his sockets, ready to attack if needed. He takes a deep breath and runs his palm down his maw. No, you’ve done nothing wrong up to this point, no reason to suspect anything now. You're just coddling his Omega, the exact opposite of those of their past.

Breathe. Breathe.

“If it’s okay with you little one, I wanted to name you… Chip. Now, I know it’s nothin’ creative or junk like that. If you want to change it we can-”

“Chip! Chip! I love it! Brother! I have a name!”

The other three make their-oh, the other two, make their way over. Bites remains in his place, arms crossed and a sneer across his face. Mint giggles as Chip runs to him and they meet halfway on the couch cushion in a tackle of an embrace. “Chip!” Soon-to-have-his-own-name repeats with zeal. “Chip! Chip! Chip! Chip!” He cheers; almost sounding like a baby chick, holding his brother in his arms and dancing around. Beta giggles happily as he carefully watches over the two, Alpha teleporting to his side and resting a claw upon his shoulder. Chip halts and looks up to you; eye lights bright with their beautiful tangerine hues and face painted a similar dusting shade.

“Mama!”

Your heart flutters.

Ma...mama…?

Yes, that is what he had called you. Your eyes soften as you feel a deep, heavy feeling within your chest. Mama… mother... Is that… is that how he views you? Such a title to be bestowed upon you only hours after knowing them? Your eyes shift about as you remain wordless before them, unable to speak or acknowledge him. Chip is saying something and waving his hands, almost looking worried. The others have similar reactions, the two alphas being the most notable. The Alpha Sans looks shocked as he stares at the Omega and, well, not all too happy with such a declaration. He snorts under his breath, his clawed bare feet gripping into the blanket flooring below him… only the heat ebbing from the cloth calming him to the state which he remains. Your sight fixes once more to look towards the alphadad-uh, Alpha Gaster. He seems… seems a bit more… you're not too sure. Understanding? No, no, that is not quite the word to use. Unphased? Perhaps. It’s more… more like...

“Mama, brother needs a name too! What is his name? Please let it be as nice as mine!”

Chip’s voice finally cuts through your thoughts when your eye contact with Alpha breaks. Oh right, pay attention. The taller of the two looks up at you with wide eyes, jaw dropping slightly in surprise. A name? A name for him? He would have such an honor to be named by their new bitty mother? Despite the joy which fills Chip over his name, the same thoughts fly through you as well. Fear. Anxiety. Nerves. You bite your tongue for a moment, glancing over to Alpha. He nods with a nice confidence that dispels your own heart’s trepidation. Your lips turn to a brighter smile as you turn to look over at the awaiting brothers.

“Well, if you are okay with it… Mint. I wish to call you Mint. Cause I, well, I heard you love the color green?”

Oh, these two are definitely brothers.

Their gleeful sounds paint the air a pleasant warm feeling and the tension within your body seems to slacken. Bellowing one another’s name, they dance around and hug each other. They turn to Alpha and run to the watchful two, tackling them in a hug. Alpha thrums out a sigh of contentment; you assume anyway, as you close your laptop. You don’t know whether to turn away or watch their little family rejoice, but the flicker of Alpha’s eyes facing you has your throat locking up and the air being trapped within it. Your cheeks darken as you look away. His heavy gaze is… is such a mix of admiration and thankfulness. You, you did not expect any such reaction. They are just names after all, nothing more? Right?

You peer back over to them as they talk amongst themselves, Alpha returning the look every now and then. You swallow as you pull the laptop back open, screen awakening from its slumber. Perhaps, perhaps a name is more significant than you thought? These creatures after all… are, well, for lack of a better word, pets? These are creatures meant to live among homes; welcoming them, caring for them, all in return for their companionship. What they were lacking… was… belonging? That’s what it is! Belonging. Home. For such young ones, not doubt, a feeling… a feeling they probably did not have a chance to relish before… either out in the wilds of the city, or wherever they lived previously.

A name is not just a name.

It’s home.

“Mama!”

“Oh, um, yes, Mint?”

You hear his happy giggles as he hides shyly behind his hands, guess he’s still giddy over his name. You turn your full focus back to the bitty pack, and find three of them much closer to your lap than where they were previously. Chip and Mint stand happily behind the Beta, whose nervously clicking his foreclaws together in front of them. His tail switches between tucking underneath him to twitching behind him. His bright eyes; similar color to those of the younger two of the pack, sparkle as he makes a gentle keening noise. He’s practically bouncing on the balls of his feet as he then looks to the Omegas for encouragement. They both nod with whispers of praise and gentle touches upon his arms. As he speaks up, in such a gleeful voice at that, and… what he says fills you with dread.

“Mother,”

“Y-Yes?”

“...what is my name?”

Well...

**Shit.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... the name game begins? Any suggestions for Bites and the Beta? I've got a few in mind, but its tough getting one to stick. I mean, McEdgybitesalot doesn't quite have the ring to it that I thought LOL


	7. A Taste of Affinity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy cow, this was a fun one! Why's that? Well, not only did I love the response from the last chapter, but it actually helped inspire me to draw! So what'd I do? Well, as you guessed probably, I drew pictures for this chapter! Keep in mind I am no artist by any means, but I really wanted to do something to express my thanks for all the great messages and assists in helping name the two bitties! So please enjoy the chapter, it's a long one too! Let me know if you see spelling/grammar mistakes too. I try to catch as many as I can. Being most of this is done on google docs on my phone I can't catch them all lol.
> 
> TL-DR:  
> PICTURES BELOW - SFW - I DREW THEM BE NICE - THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HELPING NAME THEM!

“Mama… brother and I so love our names. Do you have a perfect name for our beta? Please?”

 

“Well, I, um… have a few ideas?”

Excellent way to start out.

You shift before his eager gaze and your brain races a thousand miles per hour. Shit. Shit. Shit. Name’s were hard enough to come up with when you take your time, it’s triple as hard with a time limit! You smile weakly down at him as you think back to what you read over on the website. Bundles of energy, right? Loving to roam and protect the home? Your eyes soften as you look upon him. He’s bouncing nervously on his heels, clawed fingers wringing together as his gaze seems to fall. Ranger? Speedy? Scout? His bouncing is slowing. Skippy? Honey? Sweetie pie? Come on, think! Orange? Peaches? Tangerine? No, those are colors damn it! What would be a good name for someone positive, animated, an overall happy-go-lucky pup? His bouncing has stopped. Alpha is shifting anxiously beyond them, his keen eyes narrowing as his sight relocates to focus up to you.

 

He looks conflicted, as if he wants to help but unsure as to how to go about doing so. His crossed arms are tense and you can see the slightest twitching of his fingers. Come on, come on! Focus! A name! A simple name! It’s all he wants so bad! You’ve named the others, you can’t leave him out! You can’t just dash his hopes like-oh! Oh! Wait!

“Dash.”

Everyone pauses and regards you with their own reflecting curiosity. Or, perhaps, they hadn’t heard you. Your voice was so gentle and soft, to be honest, you barely heard yourself. You swallow your scratchy throat; you should get another mug of coffee, and cough to clear its tightness. You take a deep breath and speak again, this time with more vigor and confidence.

“Uh, Dash! Dash. I think would be a nice name for you? While, while you guys were asleep I did some research; oh! Alpha helped too! I read how your type; Beta Papyrus, I think it said, are, well typically are… bubbly types? Lively? I don’t know if that’s true for yourself… but, it’s a start?”

Silence.

Pin. Dropping. Silence.

The Beta’s eyes are wide, jaw descended more than normal. His bouncing has stopped, in fact, he seems frozen in place. His tail does not twitch and Mint with his brother poke and pat at him to signal a form of response. No! No! His eyes are misting up. Oh god, he hates it! His claws are trembling and slowly expanding down his arms. You perk up in alarm, and both Alphas seem to do the same. The Alpha Sans steps closer to the edge of his proclaimed bedding, a snarl quite evident on his features. Aimed towards you. Alpha’s reaction is a bit more subtle; yet, you can pick up on it. His eyes are wide and alert, the lights within the sockets flickering brighter and tightening focus. His jaw is locked shut, tense, you can see the bone somehow creasing under the stress. He saunters to them; legs tight and focused movements, arms still crossed before his chest. His tail is the only thing not taut, it’s flicking about like a savage whip.

Gulp.

“I-I, waahhh… _hic!”_

A hiccup cuts off his growing wail as his hands tighten and slacken near his chest, as if he’s trying to grip something. His dirty orange sweater; riddled with holes and cuts, painted with bits of mud, shifts on his body with every movement. You feel a heaviness wash over you and guilt perforate your mind. You really disappointed him, didn’t you? A failure. Perhaps, despite what the websites say, he is not like the others? You bite the inner side of your lip as you glance away. Your lips crack open as you go to speak up; to apologize, but the Beta’s voice cuts you off.

“I-I, I love it!”

  ****

“Thank you mama!”

He wails with an abundance of… of joy…? You guess? You weren't quite expecting that sort of reaction. A wave of relief tickles you silly as you softly stroke his cheekbones with your fingertip. Soft glowing tears cascade down his cheeks as he nuzzles into your touch. You retract your hand and slouch back into the couch. Holy shit. His apparently happy sniffles fill the air in a pleasing way and you take a moment to calm your fluttering heart. You take a deep breath and exhale out a heavy sigh, watching as the other bitties congratulate Dash on his new name. They are mumbling something about… collars? Tags? Something. It’s hard to hear these tiny creatures when they are whispering amongst one another. Alpha has relaxed once more and seems to be, well, complacent at least with how things turned out. He leaves the three to sit and rest against the back of the couch; keeping an ever watchful eye on those of his pack. When you blink, you see the Alpha Sans settling himself a few arms lengths away from Alpha… but close enough to still hold their own muffled conversation.

Turning yourself to angle the computer away from their prying eyes, you resume your purchasing and research. Thankfully it seems the site saved the cart you had started, that would have been an annoyance otherwise had it disappeared. You grab a few more things here and there that you spot on sale; calcium vitamins to promote positive bone growth, bathing supplies to advocate bone shine? Fuck it, you’re going all in. A bag of chewies to keep fangs and teeth in proper health. Sure, why not?

With a click of the mouse, your order has been placed. Finalizing the order drop off location to the pick up office down the street, you smile as a confirmation window pops up. Excellent! You close out the window and open up your finance profile you saved on your computer using a spreadsheet. A few tweeks here and there, and overall… okay, it hurts a little. Nothing a few days of picking up shifts can’t fix. You close the laptop with a click and place it on the coffee table before you. It’s nothing grand; just decorated with a few water rings cause who uses coasters on cheap dumpster diving house appliances? Not this thrifter!

You rub your temples as you lean forward, a headache washing over you. You should really get something to eat. Your morning routine had been ruined by the craziness of the bitties. Instead of waking up, going for a quick walk, drinking a few cups of coffee and going through your appointment book… you won a battle, cared for some injured bitties, and now just spent at least a quarter of a paycheck on creatures you don’t even know will be staying with you or not!

“Mama? Are you okay?”

Your hand parts from your head as you glance down at the voice of tiny Chip. His worry has caught the attention of others, who pause their own conversation to acknowledge you with a surprising amount of care and concern. Well, all except Bites of course. Although instead of his usual animosity towards you, it's seemed to devolve to more of a… grudge? Fuck, come on! What did you do now?

“No, um, I’m okay Chip. Just a headache. I should probably get some food is all.”

A rather wimpy chuckle slips through your lips. You raise to your feet, adjusting the belt of your robe to conceal your slowly divulging breasts. You stretch and groan as muscle contract and expand. A yawn escapes you as you head towards the kitchen. Food yes need now please. Your stomach grumbles in compliance as you crack open the fridge. What to have? What to have? Not much in here. Maybe the pantry? Wait. Shit, out of milk for cereal? Already? Didn’t you just buy some… You glance at the calendar magnetically sticking to the door of the refrigerator. Oh. It’s been nearly a week since you ran to the store? Perhaps you should do that late-

Knock knock.

…

You glance towards the door, brow raised. Who the hell would be bothering you today? You close the fridge door, only to have your eyes catch today’s date. Oh. Frick.

“Dearie? Are you home? Gary heard you leave out earlier and I’m not sure you are back?”

The gentle muffled voice coos from the hallway, the only barricade being your paint chipped door. Frick. Frick. You hustle over to the door, cracking it open to meet hazy brown eyes and the brightest of smiles.

“Oh, hiya Ms. Maraspy! Just, um, give me two minutes! I, uh, spilled something in the kitchen and I have to change my shirt.”

She smiles and nods, her cloud-like hair wisping to and fro. Her trembling hands goes up and touches her cheek, a look of shock behind her heavily made up eye lids. Her floral dress ruffles as she takes a step back towards her own apartment down the hall. Faded pink slippers skid across the carpet, no doubt would generate a shock if she were to poke you.

“Oh my, of course. I’m glad to see you in. Gary had me worried that you forget today we were to meet up. I’ll run to my kitchen real quick as well, I have a batch of cookies I baked for you and wanted you to try the new recipe! Oh ho ho, this time I added blue sprinkles!”

Joy Ruby Maraspy skitters away and you proceed to close the door behind you. Rubbing your temples once more, then combing a hand through your hair… you have to plan. Bitties are a priority. Perhaps they can just chill in your bedroom for the next hour or two? Maybe you can wrap things up with your neighbor rather quickly? Psh, who are you kidding? What usually ends up talking an hour longer than you always plan anyway.

“What smells like death?”

Your eyes snap open, and before you is your bitty audience. Bites was the one who spoke up, with Alpha snarling by his side. No, not at you, but towards Bites for his insensitive remark. Sure, Joy is old and smells of cheap perfume and mothballs… but death? This… This doesn't sit well in your empty gurgling stomach. You sigh and continue to rub your temples, glancing behind them.

The other three are beyond the two Alphas, peeking around the corner with curiosity filled eye sockets. You take a deep breath and crotch down before them, hands resting on your bent knees. Bites tenses up and snarls at your quick actions. You don’t even blink, your face remaining rather placid. You're not even phased, other crap is more important than his pissy attitude.

“Okay, so to make this quick. That was my neighbor, who is practically my pseudo grandmother so treat her nice, okay? She comes over every other week or so. I help her with her finance tracking, we chat, drink some tea, normal neighborly shit, ‘kay? Now, I know you guys won’t like someone new coming in, but please, she's harmless. Beyond harmless. Her presence literally un-harms the atmosphere. Okay an exaggeration, but she's bringing cookies?”

You clasp your hands together in a pleading motion.

“Please, you guys can chill in my room ‘til she’s gone? I'll give you cookies once she's done? Please?”

“You really think you can brag us with pastries you _whelp-!_ Urmph!”

“Of course miss, I shall make sure we remain out of the way. After all, this is your home and we are still… guest.”

You can almost feel the magic crackling around the Alpha Sans as he growls vehemently at Alpha keeping his muzzle shut. Alpha makes a sharp snarl towards him in return. It almost sounds like a whip cracking against-oh wait, no, it was his tail? The bone snapped against the wooden floor as to demonstrate the order. Bites falls silent, twitches out of his stern grasp before turning away with a huff. When you blink, he's gone.

“Please disregard his actions miss. He was… They were all raised different than I. It will just take time. Come along little ones, her bed has very soft pillows and you could all go for a nice grooming.”

Oh... fuck a duck.

They hadn't been bathed yet.

“Alpha, I promise once this is all done-”

“Your guest is returning. Best be quick.”

Deep breath.

Everyone hustles for the next quickest minute of your life. You throw on the sweater you were wearing-crap, there's old blood and torn sections. Maybe you can fix this later? No time for that. You toss it to the side with little disregard of the two blushing bitties monitoring you from the bedding as you strip off the robe. Throwing open the dresser, you hastily pull out a baggy sweater shirt. Perfect. You toss it over your head and fluff your hair out from within the collar. Okay, okay, almost done. You look over to the bedding, finding the two Omegas snuggling on the pillow. Alpha is nestled beside the two, stroking them to help ease them to sleep. Dash is running and sliding across the plush blanket, enjoying giving Bites a heart attack as he nears the edge to the point of almost sliding off.

Good.

“Okay guys, if something does come up, just uh… well, just come and get me. Meet me in the kitchen or something, okay?”

Alpha nods in acknowledgement, Bites too busy scolding Dash for nearly cascading down the makeshift blanket waterfall-esque mess you made earlier getting out of the bed. Just as you close the door to the bedroom until it leaves just a crack open, you hear your front door close as well. You see her shuffle into view, quizzically looking around. You smile and step into view, her own smile greeting you in return. To her chest she carries not only her manila envelope of bills and files, but her trademark dish of golden round sweets.

Phew.

“Ms. Maraspy, go ahead and take a seat. I’ll get the tea started. Any preferences? English breakfast?”

She chuckles and places the tray of cookies down onto the coffee table. You wince as the plate makes a rather loud clattering noise. Thankfully she doesn’t see you do so. Her arthritis acts up this time of year due to the cold, and yet she’s a stubborn old mule who doesn’t want help despite it would make it easier on her. _Oh, it keeps me young._ You hear her words mock in your years as you leave her to start the kettle. She likes her tea brewed old fashion, despite it being faster to just microwave the water to hot.

“How have things been, Ms. Maraspy? Doing okay in the chill? I had to pull out my heated blankets at night, did you pull out yours?”

The kettle begins to rumble as the heat caresses the bottom of its body. Slowly the evaporated water begins to ebb from the spout. Turning on your heels, you begin to pull out needed utensils for your afternoon tea.

“Oh my, yes. Everything has been okay. Gary and I have been watching some late night television; the game shows you recommended are excellent! Oh ho ho, people are so dumb. It obviously spelled carpet! Carpet chained into cleaner! I ended up falling asleep before finishing the final part of the puzzle. I’ll have to catch it when the rerun comes up on the telly.”

She rambles; much to your appreciation, and you respond back with little quips. You don’t stop her on her tyraids of late night television, recipes she watched on that cooking channel, or silly videos she watched on another. This was her time to talk while you prepped. She, as you learned over time, does not have many if any visitors over the years. It’s only been you; as of three years ago, and… Gary.

Gary.

“Is Gary joining us today?”

You place everything together and bring them into the living room area. She quirks an eyebrow up to you, her wrinkles creasing about in her usual fashion. You don’t meet her gaze, forcing yourself to remain focused on your working hands… ignoring the tightening in your throat.

“No, no, he’s decided to stay home and give me some peace and quiet. Just us girly-girls today! Oh, no cream for my tea this time, bad for the digestion. Just one cube of sugar is fine.”

Following her instructions, you craft her and your teas to practiced perfection. The wafting of the teas’ essence fills the air as you relax into the couch a cushion away from her. She takes a small spoon, swirling around the liquid to encourage it to cool off. Taking the lip of the cup to her lips, she sips with elegance gained only with age. The cup returns to the tray as she gentle focuses on not knocking it against the table top. Last time she chipped the base; which you didn’t mind those were cheap tea cups, but she just bought this set as an apology and you have to admit, the cups are very pretty. Decorated with floral designs and clouds of spring, you almost didn’t want to use them for tea time. She didn’t have it.

“Oh, delicious, you know just how to make this old bag of bones happy. Speaking of, do you have any plans for the upcoming holidays? Are… are you going to work like last year? I remember being so worried as you traveled in that surprise snow storm!”

The holidays are like, a month away, you hadn’t even thought about it.

“Uh… nothing just yet. I have a few clients who always wait until last minute to plan for the following year, so I’ll have to see what they want to do. If not, I’ll probably stay home and care for-uh, care for my… plants?”

You glance to the side, towards the bedroom door. Would they even be around for the holidays? Joy claps her hands together with the lightest of pats.

“It would be lovely to have a dinner or something, perhaps watch the fireworks down by the pier? Gary and I went last year, and I have to admit despite the cold we both enjoyed it. Some lad even helped me back to my apartment when it got icy.”

Shit, she did what last year?

“Ms. Maraspy, you know it's not safe to go by your, um, to go out during the bad weather? What if you had slipped? Do you have that cheap cellphone I got you?”

It’s a cheap phone that you can purchase minutes when you need them, instead of a monthly plan you have for yourself. You’d given it to her about two years ago when-

“Oh yes, it’s in my little purse, and well, I didn’t slip, now did I?”

“Well, no, but-”

She huffs with her sass, grizzled mane puffing about as she crosses her arms. You bring your tea back to your lips as you much on a cookie. Just as good as you remember them. Your empty belly purrs as it fills with warmth and home baked love.

“Then no need to worry about the past, just worry about the present! Oh! Present! Presents! You just reminded me, can we go over the budget for my next pension pay? I have just enough time to budget out the christmas shopping list. Since Gary isn’t here, I can discuss his present first!”

You lower the cup from your lips.

“His… uh… present?”

“Why yes! You know Gary just as well as I do. What do you think he would like? Golf clubs? A new shaving kit? He always likes more practical gifts.”

You fall silent, the tightness in your throat returning with vengeance. You return the tea to your lips and despite its heat, gulp down a few hard swallows. It doesn’t help ease the restriction of the muscles and you clear your throat as she looks at you expectantly.

“Oh, um, candles? He always ha-has a thing from them. Pine scent, perhaps? Oh, what about sandalwood? Something like, ahem, something like that?”

You shove another cookie into your mouth to mum yourself as her face brightens, oblivious as always.

“Yes! That way I can enjoy them as well. Do you think it’s in the budget?”

At that, you turn open the laptop and pull open her spreadsheets. The two of you continue your work; inputting her expenses and tracking her monthly bills. She always seems so amazed at how fast you work at transcribing her information into a well formatted and easy to follow guide for her. Compared to the clients at work, her stuff you could literally file if you were half asleep. Time passes with no issue for half past the hour. You're in the kitchen replacing the tea water when you hear her gasp quietly.

“Dearie? Is that a mouse?!”

You dart around the corner, spying little Dash looking up at Joy with curiosity. He’s hiding under the table, his bright orange eyes illuminating the shadow around his face. His head is cocked to the side, his arms wrapped around the table leg as he tries to conceal himself from her hawk-like gaze. Behind him lay something in the darkness, just too small for you to get a good look at.

Oh, what the serious fuck.

You sputter as you watch Dash; on all fours, begin to keen quietly as you discover him. Oh, he knows he shouldn’t be out here. You tense as you hear from your bedroom a noise of shock, and oh fuck this is going to get worse before it gets better. Despite yourself, you rush over and pick up Dash to keep him from getting kicked by Joy. She had to deal with mice before in her old apartment, so her panicked look across her face is justified.

“Uh, no, uh, this is Dash! He’s, shhh, calm down, it’s okay. He’s a bitty. Those things you might have seen on television or magazines?”

Dash is shifting about frantically in your hand. You use your thumb to stroke his back. He seems to calm a bit, but his whimpers are still just loud enough that you know someone else is about to join you out-yup, there they are. Both Alphas are before you within the next breath you take; one snarling at are-you-serious-she’s-old-calm-the-fuck-down, Bites, the other a look of guilt and annoyance painting his skull, Alpha.  

Sigh.

“O-Oh! Oh my, you have little skelly friends like the celebrities! How could you keep such secrets from me?”

Well, not really a secret when it just happened a few hours ago. You grit your teeth in a faux guilty smile that just screams, _oops?_ The Alpha Sans has gotten quieter, but you think it has something to do with Alpha. You can hear him mumble something to the other, but can’t quite pick up on the exact wording. Something about being… not her? Huh? Joy squats down just a bit, thankfully keeping her hands to her knees to help balance. If she reached for them, no doubt Bites would live up to his nickname.

“Hello darlings. My name is Joy Maraspy. I live next door to you. If you would like, you can call me your Grammy Joy or Ma-Maraspy, and my husband when you see him you can call Grandpa Gar-bear. Oh, he just hates that one! Oh ho!”

She falls into her cute little fit of giggles. Her pleased sounds are reciprocated by more; yup the gang's all here. You peak behind you to see Mint and Chip watching with sleepy hazy eyes. Their tiny tails waggle behind them as they do not approach, the sharp eyes of their Alphas’ demanding they do not proceed forward out of safety. You sigh, defeated. You step over to the little ones, allowing them to join their beta in your safe hand cradle. You sit next to her and Alpha draws nearer, standing before the two of you on the table with arms crossed. Bites remains at the far corner.

“And… this is everyone. In my hands are Mint, Chip, and Dash.” You point at each of them respectively. She leans in a bit closer, her eyes squinting as she looks about them. Dash wags his tail happily; yes, he very much is like a little puppy. He lives up to his own name and rushes over to the side of your hand, looking at her shaking raising hand. Oh yes, he wants the pets. Without asking, cause of course she doesn’t, she begins to stroke Dash’s head for a focus you haven’t seen in awhile.

“How precious. Nice to meet you little Dashy. My, my, you are quite a dashing little one aren’t you.”

Oh god, does he love that praise. He’s melting under her touch. Her words encourage the other two to shyly come over for their own pets. Mint rather bravely stands next to Dash, while Chip hides away within his brother’s grasp to receive a spare pet every now and then. Joy’s words have divulged to baby talk as she coos and rewards the three with strokes and praise. Heh, you honestly hadn’t seen this side of her in a while.

“Oh, and the one before us on the table is their uh… leader? Technically? His name is Alpha.”

She pulls back from the little ones, despite their begging for more, and regards Alpha with a mix of respect and awe one gains over the years. She cautiously offer’s Alpha her hand; no not in a petting motion, but rather a handshake, and waits for him to return the affection. Surprisingly; much as the gentle-bitty he is, he returns it by placing his tiny hand against her pinky and shaking it.

“It is nice to meet you Mr. Alpha, a pleasant day it is too see such a regal bitty before me. I see your types on the my television all the time.”

Wait, what?

“I never imagined you to be as tall as you are. You’re even larger than the kettle!”

Their hands separate and Alpha bows similar to how he did to you earlier this morning, just not as deep of a dip. He’s still keeping an eye on the ones in your hand, and the prissy one on the far end of the table. He does not speak, but his flickering eyes say a lot. He’s cautious, but respectful, thankfully. He returns to his full height, tail twitching behind him in a lazy sway.

“Oh, and dear who is the one back there? Pardon my vision, he just mostly looks like and black and white dot to me.”

“Uh… that’s…”

Crap.

The name game again.

As if knowing he’s being addressed, he peeks over his shoulder with a snarl that you're starting to wonder is a permanent fixture upon his snout. Before you can speak, Joy is pouting as she looks back over to you… like a grandmother scolding her daughter on how she’s raising her children. It’s… it’s not a pleasant look and one you definitely are not used to. You leer a bit over to the bit, a gaze that says _behave or so help me,_ despite knowing you can’t really do anything. He huffs and turns away, arms crossed like a child told no dessert until you eat your vegetables.

“My, my. Rather cold, isn’t he? What is his name again, dear?”

A fuck, here we go. You glance over to Alpha for help, and find him to be looking over at Bites in a matter an Alpha would take. His body language that of someone who's going to do a stern talking to once your guest leaves. You brain storm all you know about bites… which is that he bites. He’s a tiny ass. Prissy little thing. Seems to shy away from human interaction. Bossy. Joy is looking back at you, expectantly. You feel your pulse race. What do you name a bitty whose main contribution to his personality seems to be that he’s bitter and bites.

Wait.

Your brainstorm turns into a brain tempest.

_Frigid? Icy? Chill? Winter? Snow? Frosty? Artic? Brisk? Glacier?_

No, none of those do him justice.

_King? Boss? Prince? Vladimir? Regal? Royal? Monarch? Crown? Lord?_

No. _No._ No!

Everyone is waiting.

_Bitter? Briar? Chomper? Thorn? Chew? Crunch? Nips? Munch? Bites?_

Damnit, no! You can’t call him _bites!_

…

Or can you?

“Dearie? Are you alright?”

She lightly pats you on the shoulder and you snap out of your headache inducing game of mix and match in your head. You nod and smile at her. Gesturing towards the Alpha Sans, you catch his attention. He turns slightly towards you, a look upon him as if he’s waiting for you to mess up. You take a deep breath despite his vehement and menacing gaze. Oh dear lord, if he lunges at your jugular at the very least you hope Alpha can protect you from him. Here goes.

“His name…”

“...is Frostbite.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the gang has been all named! Whose your favorite? Alpha, Frostbite, Dash, Mint, and Chip, all reporting for duty! We even welcomed a new person into the group, Ms. Maraspy! Inspired actually by an elderly neighbor of mine growing up. You'll be seeing more of her as time goes on. 
> 
> Thank you again for the names, there were many amazing ones! Some people even messaged me on tumblr! :D 
> 
> For the Beta, Dash/Dashy I absolutely love! Thank you!  
> Runner ups were Sorbet (I loved the pun of Sor-beta X3) and Saffron/Saffy (apparently when the flower is ground up, it looks like the yellowish color of Beta Papy's eyes, cool!!!)  
> For the Alpha Sans, Frostbite is just perfect!  
> Briar, god, I was so close to this one! So close! But then someone messaged me Frost, and then Aya (the AU creator) told me Alpha Sans love snow so... yeah? All fit together! Frostbite it is!
> 
> I've got plenty to write about, but with the holiday coming up, keep in mind I can't post as often just due to work craziness. High five for adulting! If I don't post before the next holiday and new year, I wish the best to you and your families! Celebrating or not, damn it! Joy and love for everyone~!!!! Don't be afraid to leave a comment and ideas for future chapters. Heads up, of course I'll be writing smut later I can't fucking wait, but do be patient my reader~ Slow burn time :) More pictures to come too!


	8. A Feeling Of Dejection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *Sensitive Topics*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya ya'll! Happy holidays! It's been crazy here with work, but I found time today to type this up on the computer! My boss isn't hear right now and work's pretty slow (knock on wood). For the NYE, I give you an EXTRA long chapter! Whoop whoop!
> 
> Song inspiration in story: [Click Here to Sing Along When The Time Comes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AJmKkU5POA)
> 
> I really appreciate all the nice comments from the last chapter T_T omg, you guys are so nice. I was actually surprised to see a few of your names, cause I'm fans of your writing too!!! :D

Scolding. Grandmother Mode. Engaged.

“...and well, afterwards I brought them home, uh, here. So… you can say it’s been a busy morning?”

You sip your cooling tea, doing your best to not meet her disapproving, yet conflicted, gaze. Mint and Chip are sharing a cookie at the table, two bottle caps of tea seated beside them. They haven’t stopped watching the cartoon movie you decided to cast on the television. A classical favorite; a tale of a beauty and the fearsome beast. You place your cup down, watching as their tiny pseudo-cups jump at the impact of the cup being placed on the table. Ugh. To be honest, you didn’t even think about culinary utensils for them to use. What else did you forget to order for them? You’ll have to swing by the thrift store down the street to see if they have something like a doll set dishes you could temporary use.

 Dash is living quite up to his name. Upon consuming his weight in cookies; which ended up being about one and a half, his sugar rush has him skittering across the floor chasing what seems to be a very old ball you thought long since gone. He growls on all fours, pouncing about and whacking the ball to the other end of the room. Not without being under the watchful eyes of the Alphas though. Bites-uh; Frostbite, yeah, gotta get used to that, he’s hovering about here and there. He seems to be scouting about the apartment, nonchalantly listening in. Currently he seems to be walking on the windowsill, arms crossed behind his back as he watches the remainder of the leaves cascade from the old oak outside.

Alpha; on the other hand, once more has not left your side. He remains perched above you on the couch cushions, arms crossed and focused at… nothing? He seems to be just staring ahead, more or less glancing towards Joy when she speaks or yourself, respectively. He seems, from at least what you can tell, on… edge? Jumpy? No, neither of those sound correct. More like…

Anticipating.

“Dear, while brave of you… that was incredibly stupid.”

You wince.

“I… well… maybe?”

Your perfect defense for your actions right there. You hear the huffing of Ms. Maraspy’s criticizing as she sips; purposely noisily, away at her tea. A sigh escapes you as you softly rub at your scabbing arms. Once she heard what you did; fighting off the creature attacking them in the alley way, she made you show her your wounds. Grandmothers are always grandmothers after all. Before you could argue that you were fine, she was gone to your bathroom searching for the medical kit. Thankfully it was still out on the sink counter so she reworked your arms, choosing to allow them to air out versus being hidden under the bandage protection. Something about that helping the healing process? Whatever. As long as they get better and not infected, who cares? She places the cup down and watches idly the two young ones mimic the scene on the screen.

“Well, at the very least you are fine now. Just don’t do anything so silly again.”

With those final words, she drops the issue. Pulling open her portfolio on your computer, you get down to work. She hands you her folder of bills and whatnot, and thankfully it’s similar to the papers she gave you last month. The spreadsheet opens and your fingers type away with practiced ease. One column with deposits, others tracking withdrawals, formulas calculating her savings over time… the numbers go on and on. To some what might seem like a calculator vomited numbers on a page, you easily read as if it were a bedtime story for a child. While some may have liked art growing up, adventures in the outdoors, or other such hobbies. You, you are one for numbers. Calculations. Factoring. Tracking. Feeling your brain work itself always feels... exhilarating.

“Excellent,  I can even see a drop in your electric bill in the past few months. You have saved nearly two hundred dollars as a result.”

You turn the screen to face her, to which she eyes curiously. You feel a shifting behind you, and at a quick glance notice it is Alpha peeking over the information as well. Perhaps he is curious as well? Hm. Cool. A smart bitty. You point at the numbers on the screen; more or less to show Alpha as Joy should know this by now, but it doesn’t help to make a point. Your fingers trace over the chart you had created for Joy; as she has issues seeing such tiny font on the document, and she seems to comprehend the savings she has earned. She leans back as you pulls the computer back comfortably onto your lap. She adjusts her glasses and purses her lips.

“Well, I guess that color crap you told me about was true then.”

Wait?

Color crap?

You notice a glint in her eyes, full of mischievousness.

Oh!

“You mean going green? Really? Did you really just call it color crap!”

She snickers away, knowing she just pushed a button. The bitties seem to have no idea about your outburst, but turn their attention back to their current objectives. What can you say, outside of calculations and such, money is definitely your number two odd hobby of yours... and by hobby, you mean saving all the money you can like a boring hoarder. One day you even took the time to scour her apartment; replacing light bulbs, opening window blinds, sealing crackers in windows… all in the act to show her that these one time actions really make a difference. Going green, saves green. Your mantra. Hundreds of times you’ve said this to her, but no. She never wanted to make an active decision herself, instead leaving it to you.

Well? Who has the last laugh now!

“I’ll be honest sweet heart… I thought all your hubbub about going green was referring to that revengers guy from the movies. The one who's handsome as a science guy, then almost naked as a meat head? Bulk, was it?”

“...”

Eh.

She.

No.

No!

You can’t even.

You're just.

Defeated.

Done.

“Well! Nevertheless, we are all set here! Everything is noted and looking good. It’s almost what… wow, five already?”

“...Oh. Why yes it is... Isn’t it?”

She collects her paper work back into the folder, as per the usual not caring if they are in any particular order. See. This is why she needs you. You pout and save the document before closing it out, the laptop following suit. Your frown shifts to a lazy smile as you help her to her feet, her own mischievous emotion shifting to more… more of a sorrowful one. You feel your chest twinge, but it's a twinge you’ve slowly grown used to over time. She steps around the coffee table, her slippers sliding along the barren wooden floor. You follow after her, careful that Dash has moved away from either of your paths towards the door. Behind you; almost silently, you hear the pitter patter of you believe to be Alpha following behind you. A quick glance to the small hallway mirror confirms it as you see his reflection in the corner. The lights of his eyes meet with yours and he seems to hesitate following. With a gentle smile you encourage him however, he’s quick to become your shadow.

You come to the door as she pauses, her face looking to age just by standing here. She doesn’t want to leave, you know this. She never does. She looks up at you, her eyes forlorn yet she still holds a practiced smile. When your arms open for a goodbye-no, not goodbye. That’s a bad word within your household. When you arms open for a see-you-later hug, she is quick to comply with the embrace. She leans into you, her height just inches shorter than you. Her head hovers over your shoulder as her weak embrace wavers. You can smell the heavy mist of hairspray she used no doubt before coming over. The flora perfume she dazzles herself with. As she part, the final familiar whiff of her fabric freshener tickles your nose.

Dandelions.

“Well my dear, it’s been a pleasure like always. Do enjoy those cookies, I’ll be sure to make smaller ones next time for your little ones. See you later, sugars! If you ever wish to visit me, don’t hesitate to come over. My apartment is down the hall, the one with the dove welcome sign. I’m always home, except for Thursdays when I’m at the doctors. We can all watch the game shows together. Or watch movies. Or read stories…”

She falters.

You rest a hand on her shoulder.

Her hand in turns rest on it, her withered skin chilly to the touch.

“I’m sure they’d love to do something like that. Maybe we will plan like, uh, oh! A play date? You know when I have to stay extra late at work, I might need a bitty sitter?”

She perks up at your words.

“O-OH! Yes! I would love to! It will be so nice to have some new faces over at our place! I’m sure Gary would love to meet them!”

Erm.

“Y-Yes, no doubt. I’m sure all of your will get along very well.”

You turn on your heels, hand landing on the door knob. The brass feels so cold. She’s still saying her goodbyes to the little ones as you turn the knob, the push button lock popping out. The door creaks open and a wave of central hallway air hits you. It smells stale, perhaps you should mention something to maintenance during their monthly rounds. The heating duct might need cleaning before the winter truly hits, clear any dust bunnies hidden among the wall’s catacombs. You step out of the doorway and watch as Joy slowly raises to full height, after shaking the hand of the Alpha one final time.

“Oh it’s been a pleasure meeting you dears. Next time you come over I’ll have you meet-Gary! Oh, I’m sorry dear to keep you waiting. Everyone, this is my husband Gary, Gar-Bear these are our new little neighbors, say hello!”

“...”

The youngest of the bitties shy away, while the Alphas turn to you with an air of curiosity. You stand stark silent, eyes shifting warily. Your movements are tense, yet your smile, be it bright, is rigid. You step away from the door, keeping your face forward as you make your greeting the elderly male neighbor. An awkward air fills the atmosphere and you hear the little ones scatter away. Joy gleefully scuttles away, mumbling to herself and she straightens out her dresswear. She pauses before continuing, eyes turning to match your worried stare. Her brittle smile cracks on her face as she points a thumb to her doorway. Something about her makes you relax, but only a fraction. Your teeth grind as you keep your façade concrete. She speaks up as she pats your shoulders, they do not slacken.

“Take care of yourself dearie. You know I’m always available for a chat. I’ll be back next week with a new recipe. Does everyone like chocolate chips? I’m thinking something traditional.”

You nod, lips knit shut, mind falling a bit blank.

“Perfect, be sure to have some milk ready! Oh ho ho! Come now Gar-Bear, it’s time for dinner. I’ll make chicken and green beans. No, I won’t leave the skin on it. It’s too unhealthy for you.”

Click.

Your forehead rests against the closed aged door, it’s cooling touch rather grounding. You hear her speaking to her husband as she enters her apartment; she never did leave it locked, closing it behind her with a pleasant jingle of the hanging chimes. You remain unmoving, taking in slow and paced breaths of air. Breathe. Breathe. Between the sounds of your breathing, you hear the little ones coming closer. Their bone feet knocking the ground, you can practically hear their hesitation.

“...Mama?”

“...Yes, Chip?”

“...Nobody was there.”

“...I know.”

The sound of clinking dishes fill the air, the smell of green-apple scented dish soap tickling your nose. Furiously you scrub away at the tainted dishware, pleased at the results of the stains dispersal. Gentle jazz decorates the silence, your charging phone sitting on the bread box as you keep yourself busy. You sing away with your dear partner, Michael, matching the tones the best you can. He’s voice echoes through the speaker, belting out the holiday cheering nearing every passing day. Oh sweet Mister Bubble, how you would love to see such a man in concert. A modern day Sinatra, Michael Buble could charm you any day. Away in your bathroom, you hear the light laughter of the bitties playing in the water of the tub. Hopefully they will not make too much of a mess, not that you wouldn’t mind cleaning it, just, well, ugh. The music falls silent as it ends the playlist, the last of the pianos harmony trickling away. You place your elbows of the rim of the sink, resting your chin on your damp palms.

“...Joy… Whatever am I going to do with you...?”

“What is wrong with her, if you do not mind me asking miss?”

You jolt out of your daze, narrowly smacking your funny bones on the sink’s frame. You turn to see Alpha carry the dirtied clothing, eyeing your with a mix of concern and interest. Taking a breath, you drain the sink to refill it with cleaner water for the clothing. The water gurgles down the drain and you stare into your reflection of the basin. Where to begin with her honestly? What is the best way to explain this... Alpha comes closer, placing the clothing down beside the sink. He looks up at you quizzically and you clear your throat. Taking the clothing as you swallow, you place them in the water to begin soaking. You turn your attention to the stove, beginning your dinner. Soup sounds good with the chill outside, perhaps a good old classic chicken noodle? Alpha waits patiently as you use the can opener to reveal the contents of the can.

“Well, Alpha, it’s… it’s a bit of a long story. I may end up just ranting, stop me if you got a question or something doesn’t make sense, ‘kay?”

You assume he nods as your back is turned to him. The contents cascade from the can into the pot. It looks a bit gross in this semi-gelatinous state, but as it begins to heat and the smell fills the air… it’s better. The wooden spoon spins in the pot, the chunks of carrots and chicken spinning in the whirlpool of the broth. Taking another breath, you begin to frame your words properly to explain your current… predicament.

“It started after I first moved in a few years ago, right out of college. Didn’t know many peeps out here, fam’ being in another state and all. I didn’t mind, but, well… it did get lonely. After a few uh, events happened… I befriended Joy and her husband, Gary. Pleasant couple, grandparents I haven’t had personally.”

Your breath hitches as memories flood you. You step back and watch the blue flames kiss the bottom of the pot. It’s rather hypnotizing. You collect yourself and grasp the black hand towel hanging on the handle of the oven. Be it your hands are dry, it still feels rather grounding to wring the cloth in your hands. It’s cloth is soft, some patches rather stiff from old liquids drying.

“Miss?”

“Oh, uh, sorry. Well, after a while, Gary… got sick.”

You notice Alpha stiffen in your peripheral. You gaze over at him, eyes softening. Perhaps… this is a topic he may understand all too well? One day you wish to learn his story as well, as well of course the others. Today is still the first day after all, only time will tell. His gaze does not return to meet yours, instead he focuses on the flames of the stove top as well. His crossed arms look tense, his hands grasping at his elbows as he seems to focus on remaining stoic. You begin again.

“Gary developed pneumonia, his coughing and fever grew as days passed. No matter the medication, no matter how much rest… it was an inevitable death sentence for someone his age. It’s been about two years since he passed. Joy had him cremated, as per his request, and placed in an urn resting on their mantel. It’s a nice piece of art actually, decorated with bronze and silver curves. I was there, one stranger among a few family members, during the cremation ceremony they held.”

You stir the contents of the stockpot, the steam beginning to raise and heat your cheeks.

It’s comforting.

“Months passed, Joy grew depressed. I spent as much time as I can with her, that’s when I started helping with her paperwork. Gary was the one who did all of this originally, she had no idea how. Her family, too, lives states away. I took it upon myself to… I don’t know… pay her back for the kindness they had shared with me in my own time of need...”

At your words, Alpha glances at you with inquisitiveness. You wave him off, now is not the time for your story. Another time. Your hands return to the cloth as you feel your chest flutter with a cocktail of anxiety and sorrow.

“Then, a year ago… Joy changed.”

You pull out a large bowl and fill it with the heated canned contents. You take a sip with a spoon, yeah, that needs something. Staving off the story, you season the soup with a mix of chili powder, pepper, and garlic powder. You take a sip; better, not good, but better. You can deal with this. You grab a few saltine crackers and dip them in the broth. Swirling around the liquid, you offer a piece to Alpha. He hesitates, but grabs it nonetheless. Dining together, you continue, leaning against the kitchen counter as you prefer to stand while speaking. Listening intently, Alpha rests beside the bowl, cracker in hand. It’s practically a dinner plate size to him, it gives you a slight smile. You clear your throat once more, swallowing down some soup to nurture your hunger.

“Joy developed some sort of mental… uh, issue, to say the least. Her daughter told me it was some form of senile dementia where she um… see’s things, smells things, that aren’t… well… there? Visual hallucinations are what you just experienced now. She thinks Gary… that Gary is still with us. That he never died...”

You flinch when you feel a pressure on you hand, only to see Alpha pulling his hand back. He was looking to comfort you, uh, whoops. You smile at him, a thankful smile, your eyes misting with melancholy as he returns his touch to a light stroke along your skin. It’s… nice. You slurp down some broth, chewing upon a tender slice of chicken momentarily.

“It’s only gotten worse over time. Before she would mention seeing him briefly, thinking she was just tired. Now? She acts as if he’s back, well, as if he never… never left. It… it really hurts to think about. Memories…”

You trail off, a shiver washing over you. Memories… memories are everything to you. It’s what has made you, well, you. It’s what keeps you linked to this world. What gives you hope. To lose those…

“...Miss? You do not need to speak more upon this. I understand. Please… no more tears.”

A large claw hand graces your cheek and you snap forward, the much larger Alpha hovering before you with a frown upon his cracked skull. He’s so tall, broad… Wait? Tears? His claw, surprisingly warm, curves over your cheek and pulls away. Yes, a tear trickles down the sharp nail as he closes his fist. Huh, there are large holes in his palms… are those natural? Shaking your head, you use your sleeve to rub away any more escaping waterworks. A chuckle, a rather airy one, passes your lips as you relax. Something about his presence is rather easing to the soul. You’ll have to look into that more, perhaps it's an... Alpha thing? A sense of protection or something?

“Heh, thanks. Um, sorry ‘bout that. Long story short, just treat her as if he really is there, okay? Can you let the others know as well? If they are uncomfortable with it, they can always hide in my bedroom when she, when she visits?”

The towering creature seems to pause, no doubt his thoughts racing. You really hope he doesn’t think it strange of her, make fun of her… nothing of the sort. Yet, he nods, his sight not leaving yours. You feel your cheeks heat under his gaze, you quickly turn away to grab yourself a glass of water. Busying yourself keeps you more, erm, calm? You guess? You gulp down a few refreshing sips before placing the dishware in the opposite sink of the clothes. He is still just staring. You cross your arms, rubbing your upper biceps nervously, eyes shifting about.

“I’ll... I’ll finish washing the clothes and drain-uh-dry, I mean dry them. Can you go check on the others?”

Please, please just go.

You need a moment.

“...Alright miss, I shall go.”

No argument. No questions.

Nothing.

With a blink of an eye, the creature you once were nothing but a shadow to, disappears. You reach over to your phone; your hands are shaking fuck, and click the play button. The music resumes, and steadily, you feel your mind fall into a blank ease. Sometimes… it’s just too much. Your hands sink into the lukewarm water, your fingers working to scrub out the dirt on their doll-like clothing. Despite all the stress with speaking about your neighbor’s condition… it… actually felt kind of nice to share this with someone. A bit of a weight off your chest? The water splashes as you cleanse the dirt out of the fabric, changing the water a few times once it gets too tainted. Perhaps… you could speak with him about other things? He seems like a good listener…

The music changes, holiday music coming to an end. The music switches to something nice and upbeat, you feel your barefoot naked tapping along with the strumming instruments. You wring the clothing out, hanging it on the neck of the faucet. As the last cleansed textile hangs, you begin to sing along with the music. The lyrics you know very well, a song which came out years ago. The male voice mixed into the symphony tickles you silly, forcing a giddy smile across your lips. You inhale and exhale, chest rising and falling as you begin to sing along.

**_"I'm not surprised..._ **

**_Not everything lasts..._ **

**_I've broken my heart so many times,_ **

_**I stopped keepin' track."** _

You lean against the sink, back pressing against the cabinet.

_**"Talk myself in… I talk myself out.** _

_**I get all worked up, then I let myself down."** _

You grab your broom and sweep the dusty floor, continuing to sing with all your might.

Singing feels good.

Singing... makes you happy.  

**_"I tried so very hard not to lose it..._ **

**_I came up with a million excuses._ **

_**I thought, I thought of every possibility…"** _

The broom stops, hovering just above the wooden floor.

A smile snaps upon your face.

Eyes closed, you twirl with the music.

The broom your dance partner.  

**_"And I know someday that it'll all turn out!_ **

**_You'll make me work so we can work to work it out!_ **

**_And I promise you kid, that I'll give so much more than I get..._ **

**_I just haven't met you yet!"_ **

Your kitchen is your stage.

**_"I might have to wait, I'll never give up!_ **

**_I guess it's half timing and the other half's luck._ **

**_Wherever you are, whenever it's right..._ **

**_You'll come out of nowhere and into my life!"_ **

Heh…

Just like the...

**_"And I know that we can be so amazing..._ **

**_And baby your love is gonna change me._ **

_**And now I can see every possibility..."** _

You rest your dance partner against the wall.

Hesitating. Breathing.

Smile relaxing and slowly fading, the music continues.

Every possibility… huh…

You rest your back against the fridge, the chill of its natural cold rather nice. The shower, you can hear the water trickling, probably Alpha finishing assisting the others. You quickly rinse the other dishes, placing them in the washer. You’d run it tomorrow, there aren’t many dishes in there. You grab your water and a few headache curing pills. It’s getting late, you should probably just go to bed. No, you have to help them settle in. You head into the living room, setting up their beds for them to sleep in. Makeshift nests basically. A yawn escapes you as you bring their clothing to the bathroom door, your cell phone resting in your other hand. You rap at the door, and it worries you as it falls silent.

No, not silent, you can hear growling.

Not just from one bitty either.

You step away from the door, as it cautiously opens. It’s Alpha, he’s small again, his height just barely hitting your shin. You can’t see the others behind him. Worry crosses over you. Did you, did you do something wrong?

“Um, here’s the clothing. They might be a bit damp still, but if you use my blow dryer they will dry faster…”

“Thank you ma’am. I shall finish caring for them.”

Alpha is being… rather short with you.

“Oh, okay, I’ll be going to bed now. I have work in the morning. I set up some blankets in the living room for everyone.”

“Thank you.”

…

Alright then.

You head to your bed room, closing the door all but a fraction, just incase they needed you. You remove your clothing, tossing them away into the laundry bin. You flick on your little fan, the hum a pleasant white noise within the silent room. Crawling into the bed, the comforter shields your mostly naked body from the cold. The baggy shirt you're wearing, along with your panties would not cope well with the winter winds which wisps through the window pane. You brush your hair and relax into the pillow. You don’t want to go to bed without brushing your teeth… but your semi-roommates have the bathroom.

You wince as the bright light of your cell phone screen ignites, you squint as you set your alarm. Five in the morning, gives you a good amount of time to get done before having to rush off to catch the bus. You place it on your bed stand, flopping back onto the pillows. The hum lulls you to sleep, your eyes becoming heavy as you relax. You can just barely hear the water shut off as darkness soon encircles your mind, the world fading from your consciousness. You don’t know how long it’s been; possibly hours, possibly minutes, when you stir slightly at the feeling of a familiar warmth on your cheek. You are too far gone at this point to fully awaken, but you can just barely hear his rumbling voice caress you into a deeper sleep.

“...You remind me...so much of her…”

Who… who is he talking about? You struggle hard to awaken, yet sleep embraces you like a python around its prey. You feel his claw leave your hand, and something wet drip onto your shoulder. It’s warm. You wiggle in your sleep, it feels like lead is holding you down. The comforter shifts and you feel yourself being tucked in, the warmth cradling you to further drown you in your unconscious state. There’s nothing but silence for what seems like forever, but a sudden rustle of cloth confirms that Alpha has not left. Despite your forgone mind, you feel his body hover over yours, his weight creaking the bed as he sits beside you.

“Good night…”

Something presses against your cheek.

It’s warm.

It’s firm.

Come back, please...

“...my Silver... Bell...”

He's gone, disappears.

Yet...

Your thoughts do not.

Silver… Bell…?

Just who…?

Just what…?

Alpha…

You hope they are still here in the morning.

You need to learn more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So many mysteries being stirred up~ 
> 
> I hope you guys were okay with how I did the lyrics; bold and italic, I didn't like the formatting no matter what I did lol
> 
> Sorry if this is a sensitive topic for anyone, i'm kinda venting about it due to my own personal life right now. Let's just say, I hope the next week turns out okay. I'll actually be out of the state to see my family for a week, so updates might be slower for next week. However, while on the plane I plan to type so that should help pass the time! 
> 
> Happy New Year my dear readers~!
> 
> BTW I'm a sucker for Buble and Sinatra, I'll probably be adding more songs later lol


	9. A Feeling Of Hunger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit NSFW

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, would you look at that. I updated! After this chapter there is a brief rant about what happened.

Click.

The door closes behind you. 

The heels of your boots echo with each step as you travel down the flight of stairs, heading out into the early morning chill. You slept… surprisingly well last night. You had half expected to be awoken by some sort of commotion with the bitties, but nothing happened. To be honest, you woke up in a state of fright… thinking they had left you. You walked into the living room; an excuse that you were getting some water in the back of your mind, only to find each of them snuggled together within the nests of blankets. The Alphas stirred; their eye lights flickering in and out as they tried to gain consciousness, but as you returned to your bedroom, they were asleep once more. 

The chill washes over you as you step into the cold air. It’s still dark, winter just days away from kissing the earth with its frost lips. You can see wisps of your breath as you exhale, the tip of your nose feeling the nip. This is an odd time of year; in the early morning it can be close to the freezing point, but come noon the sun’s heat warms the air and your sweater is no longer welcomed. The dry leaves crackle under the weight of your leather boots, treating the air with a nice pleasant sound of late autumn. You fiddle with your purse; being sure that your phone, work pass, and other such necessities are in their required placements. 

Standing under the street light, you squint to see down the vacant road. Well, vacant of driving vehicles at least. Much like their owners; cars and trucks line the street, resting for a few hours more before they awaken to travel to work as well. You can hear the screeching of the breaks just a few blocks north of you, the bus making its usual stops before arriving before you. You board with ease, swiping your bus pass before taking a seat towards the back. It’s quiet, only two other people on board, early birds like yourself. With your headphones resting over your ears, you close your eyes as you relax into an peculiar meditative state. One could mistake you for sleeping, but you are quite aware. You just lull to the music, rewinding a few times when your best favorites come on.

It’s… nice… these times of day. 

Just you and your thoughts…

Short of an hour, you rise from your seat and exit the bus, snapping you out of your meditative lull as the morning bitterness caresses your sensitive cheeks. The city is gorgeous during this twilight morning, rarely a person to be spotted outside of a few early risers and running fanatics. Glancing at the time, you pick up your pace towards your office building. As if a machine, you go through the process of signing in, finding your office suite, and getting to work. The office won’t be busy for another hour or so, allowing you time to catch up on emails and start filing. You don’t have a bad job; it's rather easy in fact, you just wished it paid more of a… functional wage.

The layout of the office is open and simple. Multiple desks in rows, each person with their own assigned seat. Those who've been here long enough earn cubicles along the walls. Those assigned there are a bit more special with more specially designated tasks; that is where you are. Nestled in your own, you can’t help but to feel… a bit saddened. To your right sits a desk, decorated by your neighbor with pictures of family, friends, and the latest excursions she has traversed to. To your left, the window, which you often glance out of to erase your mind of any stresses the work day may flood your thoughts with. After working here for the time you have, you took the chance to grab the always coveted window desk for yourself. You knew the person who sat their previously so getting it after they left was simply a matter of them recommending you, which was fitting. The perks of making waves within a company, and knowing people made it much easier to move up.

With a sound of familiarity and a rumble of the computer’s tower, your workspace slowly comes to life. You brew yourself some tea in the kitchenette located just paces from you. No one is here yet; no squabbling to reach the creamer, no crumbles tumbling into your mug from carried muffins, or elbows jabbing you as people reach for the fresh pot of coffee. No, it’s quite nice. Sugar and cream at the right portions, the tea mixes to its perfect blend of belly warming concoction. 

You take your seat, your jacket resting on your shoulders like a makeshift blanket. Just like yourself, the computer is warmed up and gearing to go. You pull open the accounts, crack your knuckles and begin your early morning regiment. You have a flow to your work. You’ve organized it down to the minute. The first few hours you do one task; typically catching up first on the previous day's work that you were unable to finish, and then starting today’s priority work. Honestly; with being so engrossed in your own affairs, you don’t notice when the office begins to fill with sleepy faces. People wave you quick greetings, which you smile and do in return. A few of your more friendlier in terms co-workers greet you with more of a kinder gesture; a side hug, pat on the back, etcetera...etcetera… 

It’s already around noon before you know it, time for a quick lunch. Your thrice used mug you have just placed in dishwasher, awaiting its daily rinsing to be done later in the evening. Slipping on your jacket and grabbing your purse, you escape the chattering of the office to exit the building with haste. It’s not as cold now, thankfully, but being in the direct wind still hurts your skin on contact. You shuffle behind the building, thankful for the skyscraper's shielding of the cutting winds. Smokers from other offices stand adjacent, catching up with a quick chat. You speed past them while holding your breath, not wanting to embarrass yourself with a coughing fit in front of strangers. You sneak onto a bench by the wilting foliage and water side. Enjoying a nice meal with the sounds of the city; it is relaxing, and pleasing to your ears. You know once you finish, you’ll return to your desk and finish closing some accounts for the last few hours of your day. It’s always the same procedure, all day and everyday. Some may call this monotonous, while you find this… comfortable. Safe.

Your thoughts however are restless. You glance at your watch and sigh, just a few more hours and you can return home to check on the bitties. Maybe you should have left a cheap pay-as-you-go phone with them, incase of emergencies? At least Ms. Maraspy is right down the hall, if anything really gets a buzz at least she knows to contact you. 

Speaking of, you double check your phone. Your heart leaps to your throat when you see a few notifications. However, it’s only a few messages about the status of the package being delivered… tomorrow? Excellent! The sooner the better! 

Tossing your scraps into the trash, you make your way back to your office space. The last part of your day is your favorite. You settle into your seat, place your headphones over your ears, and allow your fingers to work away. Transferring information over to a spreadsheet? Piece of cake. Data entry? Easy peasy. Review some repeat weekly ledger entries? Psssh, child's play. 

Working away at your desk, the world revolves around you, but you do not notice; you never do. Before you know it, you catch a glance at the clock to discover it's nearly time for you to go. Perfect. Another day, another dollar. You save your projects, typing up a quick reminder list for yourself tomorrow to repeat the process once more, collect your things, and shutdown the computer. You bid goodnight to a few people; some giving you a jealous glance as you head out. The great thing about working in the morning; the wake up might be a drag but you have the rest of the day to enjoy. Donning your jacket, headphones, and other such things, you exit the office as quietly as you entered. 

Returning to the bus stop, you pick one of your relaxing playlists; the docile tunes of Sinatra and Dean Martin harmonizing your soul into a pleasant lull. Perhaps your bittie acquaintances would enjoy some jazz? You remind yourself to ask them if they would like some form of entertainment while you leave for the day. Sure, your electric bill may go up but as long as you remember to put things on power-saver mode… perhaps it won’t hurt as much as you are projecting. 

The bus is nearly empty at this time of day, only to gain additional passengers a few stops away. Taking your seat towards the back, you enjoy the rumble of the engine as it takes its predesignated path. Buildings, people, statues, stores; everything becomes a blur in given time. The stops turn into gentle rocking. The sounds of people talking turning into a muted lullaby. Your mind escapes you, this bus, this world… gone but yet still here. 

After so many stops, yours finally approaches. It’s nearly the end of the line. The brakes screech and the bus groans as it comes to a halt. You stand up, and make your way toward the exit, your hair rustling as the crisp fall air brushes past your cheeks. The traffic is only starting to pick up at the end of your trip signalling the hour of five. 

You wrinkle your nose as the smell of car exhaust assaults you, quickly covering it with your sleeve, until the smell passes. Straightening out your headset, you turn up the music as you walk the beaten path to your apartment. It’s not far, just a quick walk across two blocks to spot the old brick of your home. In the morning it's more convenient, as the stop is basically in front of your apartment. Too bad you couldn’t be spoiled with both the pickup and drop off before your home; but beggars can’t be choosers. Your keys jingle as you open the front door gate. Well, the building is still there, no fire has caused the place to burn down.

You check the mailbox; junk, junk, a letter in regards to taxes, junk, oh a coupon book! Awesome! Slipping the headphones around your neck, you turn off the music and hold your retrieved mail to your chest. A quick hike up the stairs has you greeted by the most lovely of smells. It’s that of chicken it seems, dressed elegantly with hints of rosemary and thyme. A sharp smell of lemon perhaps? Earthy roasted vegetables complement the original smell, in a medley of savory flavors. You place a hand over your stomach as it growls, and let out a groan. The light lunch you had does not compare to the smells wafting throughout the hallway. A sigh escapes your lips as you head down to your corridor, where the bitties and leftovers await you. 

As you keep walking towards your door, the smell… is getting stronger? No, no, it must be Joy! Joy must be cooking, perhaps a relative is finally visiting? You huff as you balance the mail to open the door with your keys. The lock creaks and gives a quiet pop as it leaves its metallic chamber. The door opens slightly and you slide in; an action out of habit. 

All at once you're hit with the smell of a surprise fresh home cooked meal, the sounds of tiny feet scampering across the oak flooring, the sounds of a movie playing in the living room… and above all, a giant Alpha… wearing your blue and purple spotted apron. Oh lord. You peak in further, surprised no one has noticed your entrance. As you peek into the living room from your spot by the front door, you watch Dash zoom by with Mint hot on his heels. Just beyond them resting on the couch is that of Frostbite and Chip; Chip seeming to nuzzle into the comforting grasp of the snoozing alpha. They all look so… so at home! This is great! 

Your hands brace against the wooden frame, as with deft skills you manage to close the door behind you quietly, without disturbing the bunch. The smell is coming from the kitchen. Your kitchen. As in, your apartment, belonging to you, kitchen. You bite your lower lip, closing your eyes as the smell further absorbs into your senses. Dear lord, is any of that for you? Please… Hell you’d beg if you have to. 

You peer around the corner, remaining ever so silent, as you watch the surprising amount of skill Alpha has as he works in the kitchen. His whip like tail is wrapped around a spoon, stirring what looks to be a butter sauce on the stove top. At his hands he uses his claws to slice into some chicken breast, freshly defrosted from the looks of it. You almost cringe at how easy his sharp nails perce and slice down the flesh. Yet, in amazement, his slices are made with precision and diligence. Each wedge being nearly, if not completely, the same sizes. This makes for equal cooking. For a bittie… you can’t help but feel impressed. Whoever would get rid of such awesome crea...tur-o-hh?!

Your thoughts halt and your cheeks flush the lightest of pink blushes as you watch Alpha’s tongue lick at his claws, seeming to savor the essence of fresh meat. He’s salivating just the tiniest amount. His tongue is the same shade of torso you saw the day prior. Its seeming to glow magenta ecto-muscle flexes and flicks as he licks his claws. Gliding it over the bone as he seems to study the flavor. The light of his eyes flicker between the meat and the seasoning stand just before him. He grabs powdered garlic and simple herbs, tossing and mixing the bowl of raw fowl.

He stalls as he holds the bowl within his grasp. He looks to be breathing in the scent, absorbed in the culinary world. To your surprise, his clawed hand reaches into the bowl to procure the well seasoned flesh. Hunger bleeds through his actions as he holds the piece before his maw. He's panting as he seems to hold back, his conscious reminding him of his pack and yourself waiting for a meal. His jaw cracks as he opens his maw. Just one. No one would notice. He places his teeth against the firm, chilled sustenance. The liquids seep from his piercing fangs down his chin, dripping onto your apron. His sockets fall close. 

The taste nearly has his grasp on the bowl falter. Its rich, warming his senses and drawing from him a deep yearning. Feral. A low growl of content rumbles from his chest. Even with the meat being days old and from the freezer, it’s the freshest meal he’s had in the longest. His tongue rolls over the muscle. Perfectly seasoned meat, what a rarity. Yet, you treat he and his pack to this? A snarl flashes across his jaw. No, this should not be a treat. This is what should be considered ‘normal’. Meat. Home. Safety. Security. This is supposed to be the norm! 

His tongue laps at the juices which befall his facade.

He swallows.

Delicious.

His claw reaches for another before he can clear his mind. In a haze, a fog of hunger, he grasps another betwixt his fingers. His claws flex as they hold the tender succulence. He feels his magic flourish within him. All too long has he lived in a constant stage of borderline starvation. His magic when you had found them was almost in a comatose state. Without another meal much longer… he would have fallen down. 

Forever.

Sockets close as he places yet another slice of into his maw. He bites. He melts. His legs nearly give out. So this is what it’s like, huh? To be content? To be... happy? If his arms had skin, he’d have chills running down them. A new scent slowly awakens his senses. It’s warm, like that of a summer breeze. For but a moment, he reflects; gone in his mind as he remembers. This scent.

...

...Silver Bell…

He hesitates.

A lump in his throat… his chest…his soul...

“...Shouldn’t you be sharing that?”

_ “Hrk! _ ” 

He spins around, a claw over his mouth as he indignantly has been caught. 

He coughs with a flush lightly kissing his cheek bones. 

“ Young miss?!”

A pleasant warmth blooms throughout his bones as he’s greeted with your smiling yet flecked with tiredness face as you lean against the doorframe. Your giggles slip past your lips as Alpha struggles to clear his throat. The exclamation of the flushed skeleton seems to have caught the attention of the others. His greeting to you is covered up by the clamoring sounds of smaller bitty claws clicking against the wooden flooring. 

“Mama! Mama!” 

“You’re home! Welcome back mama!”

“Mm… hello mother…” 

Chip yawns. So precious. 

You squat down to sit on your knees, patting gently the heads of the panting papyrus bitties and the young sleepyhead. You don’t see Frostbite, but you sure as hell feel his heavy stare. That’s gonna get old sooner or later. Keeping your cool you greet back the small ones, pleased as they nuzzle into your open hand. The bone is smooth, yet has a mild texture to it. You can even feel the tiny bumps of their ears, maws and fangs. You hear both alphas behind you; muttering to each other, but you carefully scoop up the clingy three. You give each a gentle kiss on the head, which they excitingly accept, before placing them back on the ground. 

This… is nice. 

A nice welcome home after a day at work.

“Yes, yes, I’m back. How were you guys today?”

Without missing a beat, you follow the ranting Dash with Mint and Chip on his heels into the living room.  Dash dwells on how he played with his packmates throughout the day, slept and ate the food Alpha gathered from your fridge. Your shoes clatter into the corner as you groan gently with satisfaction of shoe freedom. You sink onto the couch, leaning into the pillows. You ease back as you feel the heaviness of your day slip away. The whole time, Dash has not stopped his activities of the day report.

Hr jumps up onto the coffee table, sitting down as he continues to speak, his tiny tail thumping against the wood in a mesmeric pattern. Mint crawls up your pants’ leg, his claws lightly scraping the skin beneath. As he settles onto your thighs, he speaks up how he had fun chasing around his beta throughout the day and taking naps. Chip… doesn’t speak much. Instead he asks for ‘ups’ and you give him a lift to rest on your boob shelf. He nuzzles under your chin before curling up into a ball just shy of your cleavage. He can hear his tiny snores reverberate through his muzzle.

You tell them about your day in return, the oh so exciting life of the accounting department. Much seems to go over there head, but they do seem to try and understand. As you tell them of your day, you can’t help but to notice the Alphas are strangely absent. You peek up every now and then but do not see them… per say. Thanks to the windows facing the fading sun, you see their shadows on the wall. The skeleton shadows show they are speaking, both in... their larger forms you assume? Frostbite looks… big? Still smaller than Alpha though. Based on the fridge’s slight casted shadow… you guess he’d be about your height? Or are their shadows playing tricks on you. Or your sleepiness is kicking in.

A nap sounds  _ really  _ nice. 

The cons of waking up early.

A wave of tiredness hits you at that realization and you feel your head slip back onto the pillow as you end your tale. Your eyes feel heavy and you allow them to fall shut. You hear clicking of claws against wood. Wake up. Warmth and softness surrounds you. Come on get up. Gentle purring. So… soothing… 

No... you should shower… wash up… 

Chores… 

Adulting… 

Zzzzz…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya peoples! Sorry for the long hiatus, like a fuckton longer than I thought it would be. Quick summary of what happened: Turn of the new year lead to depression due to financial issues, 2 promotions in a span of 3 months after putting 600% of myself into my work (which lead to some at home issues and well, more mental issues, but I stayed determined!!!!). 
> 
> I now work a full time accounting position, lacked time and energy to write due to busy summer, started getting back into the grove thanks to betaing/co-authoring a story, check out Brace for It!!!! Tell Readsleepcoffee she is the best! She really has been a great person to talk to and work together with!
> 
> :) Sorry if this isn't my best, I'm still getting back into writing. I hope to do so more often now that summer is over. I do have a picture I am finishing up and will add to the story soon. Thank you all so much for your lovely comments and concern. Hard to believe it's been 9 months... shit are any of you readers still here? Like lordy, I am so fucking sorry! :( Not really what was planned.

**Author's Note:**

> Liked this? Bookmark and stick around!  
> Comments and kudos are appreciated, as well as any ideas or suggestions.  
> I'm always looking to improve my writing. 
> 
> If you haven't, check out my other long running series; Welcome to Underground City, a mobtale based story. Good amount of my smuttyness there! All my stories are undertale as of right now. :) I just love the game and the crazy stuff people make up about it.


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